ON Farm Fest’s 11 varied farms highlight local, historic agriculture
Attendees visited various local farms on Saturday. Each farm held its own festivities, like apple picking, wagon rides and even demonstrations of robotic cow milking. Kathryn Crispo | Contributing Photographer
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The first thing most attendees saw when they walked into Brady Farm on Saturday was a pen of miniature donkeys. Brought by Nicole Woodruff from her farm in Cazenovia, donkeys Millie and Val immediately approached visitors when they entered their pen. The two didn’t shy away from sitting right on top of attendees.
“All the animals here, except dragons and wizards, are basically our farm animals,” said Avery Woodruff, Nicole’s 10-year-old daughter who sold these 3D printed creations to farmgoers.
Saturday marked the ninth annual ON Farm Fest. Starting at 10 a.m., attendees could visit 11 different farms in Onondaga County for free — Brady Farm, a nonprofit farm, was one of them. Each farm held its own festivities, like apple picking, wagon rides and even demonstrations of robotic cow milking.
Farms participating this year were: Brady Farm, Sunshine Horses, Inc., Tim’s Pumpkin Patch, Palladino Farms, LLC, Dutch Hill Maple, Navarino Orchard, Rocking Horse Farm, Anyela’s Vineyards, Tre-G Farms, LLC, Albanese Longhorns and Emmi Farms.
Representatives from Onondaga Grown had booths at all 11 farms, teaching attendees about agriculture in New York state. The county is unique since it has an urban population, a suburban population and a very diverse agriculture economy, Harold Nugent, the site marshall at Brady Farm, said.
Nugent showed attendees information from Onondaga Grown, which lies in the 10th largest agriculture county in New York state. It ranks third in poultry, eighth in milk & dairy and 10th in field crops and more, according to Nugent’s laminated information sheet.
The ON Farm Fest allows visitors to map out a few different farms they’d like to visit and spend time at each on the day of the festival.
“Part of our mission is education, educating the public about buying healthy foods, learning about where their food comes from,” said David Knapp, Onondaga County’s agricultural chairman.
Knapp grew up on a farm that’s been in his family since 1804, and he believes this event will bring newer generations back to the farms.
Avery also grew up on a farm and has been to many farm events around upstate New York. She said living on a farm is a lot of responsibility, but fun. She goes with her mom and the donkeys to events like these, selling her 3D creations. They’re inspired by the different animals on her farm: Millie the baby calf, pigs and horses.
“I give some of the money for our farm, and I use some for my dog,” Avery said.
Donkeys Millie and Val greeted visitors at Brady Farm. The nonprofit farm provides education on farming and agriculture to local schools. Kathryn Crispo | Contributing Photographer
Brady Farm grows a wide range of vegetables and flowers, and is located just under two miles from Syracuse University. They hosted farm tours, miniature donkey petting, live music and pumpkin painting for ON Farm Fest.
“These types of events really help to highlight the bounty of our region and how easy it is to get local food,” said Jessi Lyons, farm coordinator of Brady Farm.
Throughout the year, Brady Farm works with local schools to provide education on farming and agriculture. Last year, they worked with 1,100 students, Knapp said. When districts don’t have enough funds to bring their students to the farm, Lyons goes to them.
Jenna Meyer, a graduate student at SU, saw advertising for the event on a billboard driving to school. The abundance of farmland in upstate New York contrasts with the urbanized Long Island where she’s originally from, she said.
After talking with representatives from Onondaga Grown, she learned about the sustainable practices of Brady Farm and even signed up for a farm share.
“You get a box of veggies from local farms, like this little farm, every week. I’m excited,” she said.
Another attendee, Shawn Tyrell, said he was fascinated with Brady Farm and how it had been transformed since his childhood. He grew up around the area when there had been apartments on the lot.
Tyrell said that events such as the ON Farm Fest help engage those experiencing poverty and get them involved with the community and its local businesses.
He often visits Brady Farm for their open food pantry, where people can donate or take nonperishable items like canned food and toiletries.
“There may be something nobody wants, but I would like to have it, and I’ve often had to drop off stuff up here that somebody else could use, it’s been benefiting me,” Tyrell said.
ON Farm Fest had a high number of attendees before the COVID-19 pandemic, Knapp said. Gradually, that number is coming back. He’s doing everything he can to engage the broader community, keeping it fresh by including a variety of farms each year and ensuring that there’s ample entertainment at each farm.
“We’re out here hoping to connect people as closely as we can to the food that they eat, and be able to build relationships between the farmers and the community here,” said Nugent.
