The air has become cool and crisp, the talk is turning to football and pumpkins are even showing up in grocery stores — fall is here.
What has become an annual tradition to recognize the changing of the seasons in Clifton Park will be taking place Friday, Sept. 14, through Sunday, Sept. 16. Farm Fest will see area farms opened to the public for a self-guided tour of the town’s agricultural offerings. Activities include animal rides, hayrides, farm tours and food samplings.
The festival was started 20 years ago by former Supervisor Marvin LeRoy in an effort to highlight farms within the town.
“We get thousands of people visiting our farm every year. It’s an opportunity for people in town to understand the local food source,” said Isabel Prescott of Riverview Orchards. Riverview Orchards has been taking part in the festival since its inception.
A total of eight farms are participating this year, as well as community venues including the Clifton Park Halfmoon Public Library, where the kick-off on Friday night is set to take place.
Myla Kramer, director of the town Office of Park and Recreation and Community Affairs, said the town is proud to offer the festival and while some towns don’t see celebrating or focusing on agriculture as their responsibility, Clifton Park does.
“We want them (farmers) to be around, be viable and be a resource. It’s a priority of the town because it’s a priority of the residents,” said Kramer.
She added turnout for the festival has always been fantastic, though it is weather dependent.
“People won’t go apple picking in the rain, for instance … and there are some other indoor activities available. All the locations will have a focus on doing different things, so people can pick and choose what to go to,” said Kramer.
“All the kids love to go look at our three little pigs and the rooster that crows all day,” said Prescott. She also said Riverview Orchards will have a pie eating contest on Saturday at 2 p.m. and they’ll also have their award winning cider donuts on hand.
Larry Syzdek and Ruth Olmsted own and operate Shepherd’s Hey Farm at 43 Riverview Road. They’ve been taking part in the festival for 19 of the 20 years it’s been going on. Syzdek said he got into farming after working on a farm in Amsterdam as a young adult.
“When I had the opportunity to buy the land here … I said it would be a shame just to have the property and not do anything with it,” said Syzdek. He settled on raising sheep and attended Cornell University to get a better understanding of the undertaking.
“It’s a thing I felt like I wanted to share with the community. Not everybody gets a chance to get out to a farm or work on a farm or to know about animals. I wanted to share that with folks, especially the younger folks,” he said.
Shepherd’s Hey Farm (named after a style of dance) will be conducting pasture walks among the sheep for kids so that they can “play shepherd for a little while” and see what daily chores are like on a farm.
Farming isn’t the only thing you’ll find at Syzdek’s place. Like all farmers, he casts a keen toward the environment and has an air sampling station that measures mold, grass and pollen present in the air. He sends data for daily pollen counts along to Albany County and national organizations that track air quality.
Most farms will be open from 10 a.m. until 5p.m. and conduct tours in groups as they arrive at the farms. Additionally, the Vischer Ferry Fire Station No. 1 at Riverview and Crescent Roads will be holding a Hungry Farmer’s Breakfast on Sunday from 8 a.m. until noon. Adults are $6, children are $3 and those under the age of five are free.
For more information on the festival, visit cliftonpark.org.
