Cornell Cooperative Extension Director William B. Lacy, right, speaks with Patricia Rourk from CCE of St. Lawrence County, left, and St. Lawrence 4-H club participant Kelly Capuro at the state fair on opening day. Robert Barker/University Photography
Cornell's educational influence at the 375-acre classroom, known as the New York State Fair, is pervasive. Whether your farm animal is appearing at the fair for the first time or making living history at the fair's agricultural museum, the inspiration for New York's best agricultural ideas started at this university.
Take Walt and Clara Rose Thomas, for example. Dairy farmers by trade, Walt '51 and Clara Rose '50, have enlivened the fair's agricultural museum by turning a hall of exhibits into living, animate creations. Walt makes brooms out of home-grown "broom corn" (sorghum), and it takes him about an hour to intricately weave the sorghum onto each cured sapling. The all-natural brooms use the same "broom corn" that you'd find on the finest brooms in hardware stores.
Clara Rose counts threads and painstakingly double-weaves a variety of creations on her loom. At Cornell, she majored in 4-H extension, but now she runs a business called Cold Springs Crafts in Baldwinsville, N.Y., and she smiles as she explains to the fair on-lookers that her "craft takes patience."
Without farm animals, the state fair would not be fair to the state. Meet Tessa Cole, who has groomed a Romanoff-cross ewe named Pale Face. Pale Face is grayish-black with a cream-colored face. Through the Cayuga County Cornell Cooperative Extension 4-H program, this is Tessa's first state fair animal competition. She begins kindergarten this fall. She is 4.
Tessa's older cousins are veteran fair contestants. They also are part of the Cayuga 4-H program. Stacy Cole, 12, and Elizabeth-Anne Cole, 15, explained as they sheared, clipped and manicured a horned dorset that they spend between three and five hours grooming just one ewe for competition. Stacy took the ultra-champion award last year with a well-coifed horned dorset named Sweetie.
The fair and Cornell Cooperative Extension's 4-H program, in particular, provide an important vehicle for bringing young people into the field of agriculture.
"We're trying to get the kids interested at a young age," said Scarlett Butler, a Cayuga County 4-H leader. "At a young age, they're not scared of the animals. Plus, it gives them enthusiasm and reduces the stress that they can do this stuff."
This year is the 4-H program in Orange County's first time at the state fair ewe competition. The sheep club is new, and Melissa Call has risen from novice shepherd to junior leader to secretary in just 18 months, she said. She grooms a purebred Cheviot named Rosie.
Forget the midway, overlook the cotton candy and nix the snow cones. John Fiori, a Seneca County extension agent, held compelling court at the fair's Youth Building. He was showing kids (and adults) how to make stationery out of recyclable office paper. Fair-going kids tore up office paper, put it into a blender, added water and dumped the concoction into a watered-down, paper-making mold.
Daryl B. Lund, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, joins Diana Powless, 10, left, and Lynn Leffingwell, 16, holding baby chicks at CCE's 4-H poultry science exhibit in the fair's Youth Building Aug. 22. Robert Barker/University Photography
In the Youth Building, across from Fiori,kids of all sizes, shapes and backgrounds stood five-deep for a chance to hold chicks at the 4-H poultry science exhibit. There isn't a kid on earth, nor an agriculture dean, who can resist holding a newborn chicken. And Daryl B. Lund, dean of Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, proved it by willingly joining the kids in the hen house.
Out on the midway, fair-goers learned that growing chickens is an industry. Forty-seven New York State Fairs ago, Robert "Bob" Baker, Cornell emeritus professor of poultry science, wanted to come up with a way to sell more chicken. So he developed his now famous barbecue sauce and opened his own chicken barbecue stand at the fair.
"It's a vinegar, oil and eggs-based recipe that was designed to increase chicken and egg sales," said Reenie Sandstead, Baker's daughter and the manager of the stand. Sandstead and her brothers and sisters are partners in the chicken venture, but she handles the daily operation.
For almost two decades, Baker's Chicken Coop has brought in Arnie Heikkila of Duluth, Minn., to cook the chicken. Last year's fair sales came to 17,000 chicken halves.
Agriculture is New York's largest industry. George Mueller '54, a Clifton Springs milk producer, took on docent duty at the fair's agricultural museum, and he shared his respect for what Cornell contributes to his industry. His sons John Mueller '86 and Steve Mueller '91 are partners with their father in running the dairy business.
"Both John and Steve have benefited tenfold by [the Cornell-run] LEAD-NY program," Mueller said, referring to the Empire State Food and Agriculture Leadership Institute. "It's just a great program. That two-year program takes young people in the agriculture industry and grooms them to assume leadership roles."
Bernard Potter '43, Cornell emeritus trustee, as well as a former director of the state fair, cheerfully greeted fair-goers as they wandered through the combines and tractors on display at the museum, explaining how farm machines have changed through the years.
Spending his childhood summers on a farm, Don Nielson '42 of Latham realized at a young age the importance of the industry, and he's devoted his career to helping farmers by working for the marketing division of the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. He explained that agricultural fairs in New York during the mid-19th century were early sources for disseminating information for farmers and consumers, much as Cornell Cooperative Extension and the state fair is today.
"Early fairs gave us the social exchange of ideas; it brought in friendly competition as well as produce," Nielson said.
On opening day, while fair-goers absorbed the best of what New York agriculture has to offer, Cornell officials and Gov. George E. Pataki attended the traditional governor's luncheon, highlighted by Pataki's signing of a law that lowers taxes for the state's farmers. Lund and his wife, Dawn, were accompanied by Henrik N. Dullea, Cornell vice president for university relations, and William B. Lacy, director of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Following the luncheon and ceremony, the Cornell officials savored the aromatic atmosphere, visited the educational exhibits and could not resist the New York-made ice cream at the fair's dairy bar. It is, indeed, a great state fair and it runs through Sept. 2.
Before the governor's luncheon at the state fair Aug. 22, Gov. George E. Pataki, second from left, posed with, from left, Henrik N. Dullea, Cornell vice president for university relations, Daryl B. Lund, dean of Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Donald R. Davidsen, state commissioner of agriculture and markets and a Cornell alumnus. Robert Barker/University Photography
From left, Daryl Lund, William Lacy and Dawn Lund take a walk on the midway at the state fair during their visit last week. Robert Barker/University Photography