Families can learn all about Schoharie County farms and farmers on Saturday.
It’s Family Farm Day, with 16 farms and markets open to the public in Schoharie County as well as others in Otsego and Delaware Counties.
Products range from dairy and produce to honey, maple, flowers, soap and more.
Organized by Cornell Cooperative Extension, Family Farm Day is an opportunity to not only visit farms, but also taste samples, enjoy tours and rides and buy goods.
The 10th Family Farm Day is free and runs from 10am to 4pm.
“A lot of people discover where their food comes from and see the farmers’ world,” said Jessica Holmes, agriculture and horticulture educator at the Extension office in Cobleskill.
Ms. Holmes put together Family Farm Day with the help of Lauren Anderson, also at the Extension office.
From Sharon Springs to Jefferson, Schoharie County will have 16 farms and markets open. There are nine in Otsego County and eight in Delaware County.
“A lot of farmers want to show off their farms and show what they produce,” Ms. Holmes said.
“And they want to take time to talk to the public.”
Although Family Farm Day draws people from the three counties, others visit from southern New York and elsewhere, Ms. Holmes said.
And besides showing off their farms and products, farmers build a customer base.
“Once they see what a farm is like, people continue to come back,” Ms. Holmes said.
“And I think one of the benefits is that people not only visit farms but they also stop at other small businesses in all three counties.”
Families can get ‘passports’ at farms, get a sticker at each farm, and turn the passport in to receive a prize from Extension.
Families can visit as many farms as they want. Unwilling to single out particular farms, Ms. Holmes offered a strategy for touring:
“I’d say hit a farm with maple, beekeeping, produce and animals,” she said. “You’d cover a lot.”
Maps and details about each farm are at the Extension office in Cobleskill or by visiting FamilyFarmDay.org.