From apples and corn to onion jellies and solar smoothies, thousands of visitors to the 78th annual Empire Farm Days got a taste of Cornell's contributions to the agricultural community.

Variable weather and the promise of 1,500 ears of fresh-roasted corn drew crowds of visitors to the big barn that was converted into the Cornell Center during the three-day event in Seneca Falls, N.Y., Aug. 9-11.

The largest farm show in the Northeast, Empire Farm Days featured more than 600 exhibitors spread over 300 acres on the Rodman Lott and Son Farms, with its aim to teach farmers, gardeners and landowners about the latest technologies and resources.

Visitors sampled an assortment of New York cheeses, wines, apples and various products created with the help of Cornell's Food Venture Center, based at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, including barbecue sauces, hot mustards, salsas and fruit juices.

They were also able to quiz Cornell experts at more than 30 interactive booths about topics ranging from invasive species and sustainable food production to the future of bioenergy, farm management, education and marketing.

A special celebration Aug. 10 marked the centennial of Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE). CCE booths lined an entire wall of the Cornell Center to educate the public about their varied consumer and agricultural programs; Kathryn Boor, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences, joined CCE Associate Director Chris Watkins to deliver remarks and dish out celebratory cake and ice cream.

"From its inception 100 years ago, a main purpose of the Cornell Cooperative Extension system has been to bring the latest developments in agriculture directly to the farmer and farm families. Empire Farm Days shares this purpose and does it with a lot of excitement and fun," said George Preston, senior communications adviser for CCE.

Two new exhibits this year were hazards of flowing grain and goat care demonstrations. Other events included dairy profit seminars, corn and hay harvesting demonstrations, safe boating techniques, horse training seminars and a popular antique tractor parade.

"I think that Empire Farm Days as a whole, is a great opportunity for the farming community to get together," said Allison Sacheli of Sacheli Franjo Farms and Foods, who noted that her collaboration with Cornell resulted in her producing onion jellies, an added value to her crops. "We as a farm family and a company really appreciate all the help that we have received from the Food Venture Center and Cornell in order to create our value-added products."

Bethany Liebig '12 is a writer intern for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.