New machine field demonstrations and dairy technologies may be big draws for Empire Farm Days. But there's a whole lot more that's new to see and do at the Aug. 7-9 event just south of Seneca Falls, N.Y. Here's a glimpse of what awaits you:
Wind energy is hot in the Northeast. That's why a new Wind Energy Center will debut at EFD with presentations on the pay-back and equipment suitable for farm, residential and community power generation says EFD Show Manager Melanie Wickham. Daily presentations at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. will show how you can put wind power systems to work.
Are fishing and hunting your "thing"? Then another new must-see stop is the Hunting & Fishing Center filled with fin-, feather- and fur-related exhibitors. It'll include boats and a chance to sign up to win a Browning XBolt Hunter rifle. Nearby, Beikirch's of East Rochester will be sponsoring in-pond demonstrations.
CHECK IT OUT: The latest technologies will be camped out at the Empire Farm Days exhbit field.
If recycling ag plastics are a vexing problem, check out the new ag plastics recycling equipment, baled plastic, finished recycled products, and training resources at the Cornell / NYS Recycling Agricultural Plastics Project exhibit. A new horizontal baler will be compacting plastics at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily.
In the field and rolling
"There's no better way to evaluate a piece of equipment than to see it at work in the field or drive it yourself," says Wickham. Ride and test drive GPS-equipped tractors, compact tractors, skid steers and ATVs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the ride-and-drive area.
Watch field equipment demonstrations at:
- 10 a.m.: Silage chopping and handling
- 11 a.m.: Hay mowing
- 1 p.m.: Tillage
- 2 p.m.: Hay raking, baling, processing and handling
Tech-up your dairy biz
Each morning of the show, Dairy Profit Seminars hosted by Cornell Pro-Dairy and Eastern DairyBusiness kick off at 10:30 a.m., featuring farmer expertise, educators and dairy industry leaders. They'll be covering:
- Tuesday, Aug. 7: Technologies for herd and crop management, including precision ag planting and manure application equipment
- Wednesday Aug 8: Positioning your dairy for the future, with small, medium and large dairy expansion.
- Thursday Aug. 9: Dairy calf group housing systems, with four different and successful approaches.
At 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, a special session on farmstead cheese-making and marketing. It'll feature insight from five successful producers.
Those are just a few of the highlights. Much more will be happening. For more details, visit www.empirefarmdays.com or call 877-697-7837. Or just follow your GPS to 2973 Route 414 to Seneca Falls. Admission is free; parking is $10.