CHENANGO COUNTY — On Saturday September 20, the first Open Farm Day event was held at various local farms and businesses. Scores of residents, young and old, visited the sites to enjoy the celebration of agriculture and activities.

Open Farm Day participants included: Wilcox Maple Products, LLC, Schmidt’s Scattered Maples, Berry Brae Farm, Kutik’s Everything Bees, The Beardslee Homestead’s Masseria, Chenango County Historical Society and Museum, and Cornell Cooperative Exchange Chenango County.

The day was filled with agriculture activities that included meeting farm owners, discovering fresh produce and products, hayrides, pumpkin picking, live music, wine tasting, a walk through a vineyard, viewing animals, learning about the Farm Bureau, programs highlighting Chenango County history and heritage, and more.

Products offered at various farms included fresh eggs, apples, maple syrup, honey, pumpkins, gourds, fresh angus meat, lamb, chicken, cheeses, milks, fresh ground coffee, homemade liqueurs and perfumes, and more.

Schmidt's Scattered Maples farm owners Mark and Andrea Schmidt said they had an unofficial count with about 75 visitors.

Andrea thanked Rich Taber and Craig Brown for coordinating the event and Chenango County Farm Bureau for the sponsorship and hopes the event continues to grow and becomes bigger and better every year.

“Events like this are important,” Mark said. “The average American is three generations removed from the farm. Your grandparents likely farmed, were related to, or knew someone who did.”

“Now with less than two percent of the population feeding the other 98% its more important than ever for people to take the time to learn about the work that goes into supplying their food,” he added.

He said they had a great time during their open farm event and hopes more people will get involved in the future.

Wilcox-Maple-Products owner Renee Johnson said she met some new faces and enjoyed seeing so many of their regular customers.

She said they had about 300 visitors and was glad the event took place during their busy time of year.

“It allowed guests to experience all that we offer in terms of produce, pumpkins, fall squash and farm store goods,” said Johnson.

The Beardslee Homestead owner Richard Greco gave two tours, each lasting about three hours. He shared many of the outbuildings and their history. Participants enjoyed viewing historical maps and artifacts in the homestead library.

Greco also shared his creative skills in distillery and brought the adventurous to the third story of the hop barn, complete with slotted flooring, drying hops, weeds, and flowers and a sitting area. The tours ended with a walk through vineyard.

Berry Brae Farm owners Sarah Jensen and husband Kenny gave tours of their store and animals and said they had a wonderful time being a host farm and appreciate the efforts put forward by CCE.

“The folks who came to the farm loved seeing the animals, learning about our practices, and meeting their farming neighbors,” said Jensen.

She noted everyone should have access to nourishing high quality food and is part of the Chenango Food Alliance, a program that supports both farmers and communities.

Jensen said the day was filled with good energy and community spirit and looks forward to watching the event grow in the future.

CCE volunteers and Chenango County Historical Society and Museum were busy informing and educating many visitors throughout the day.

Open Farm Day was launched by Cornell Cooperative Exchange (CCE) Chenango County, to celebrate the diversity and economic importance of area farms.

Similar events have been successful in other counties, and local organizers wanted to create an opportunity for residents to connect with agriculture close to home.

For more Open Farm Day information, visit the Cornell Cooperative Exchange website at https://ccechenango.org/.