Opportunities In Agriculture Highlighted at The Great New York State Fair’s Agriculture Career Day

Career Challenge Scavenger Hunt Highlights Variety and Value of Agriculture-Related Careers

New York Agriculture in the Classroom, FFA, and Partners Demonstrate the Breadth of Careers in the Industry

Participants Entered to Win a Nintendo Switch

There’s no better place to highlight the opportunities in agriculture than at the Great New York State Fair. Join State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball, New York Agriculture in the Classroom, FFA, SUNY Morrisville, SUNY Cobleskill, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and more to kick off Agriculture Career Day at The Fair, today, August 22 at 9:45 am in front of the Administration Building. Agriculture Career Day aims to get young people excited about the diverse possibilities for future jobs in the agricultural industry. The Career Challenge, an educational scavenger hunt with interactive exhibits, will help young fairgoers learn about a wide variety of career options and connect directly with industry and education representatives, with a chance to win exciting prizes.

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Both on and off the farm, the agricultural industry offers countless career opportunities and we’re excited to share those with our young people, who are the future of our industry. Each year, Ag Career Day at The Fair helps to open up new possibilities and expose fairgoers to meaningful ideas and career paths that they may not have thought of before. We are proud to team up the Department of Labor and New York Ag in the Classroom to bring Agriculture Career Day to The Fair again this year and encourage fairgoers to check it out.”

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, “Agriculture is vital to the health of our economy and every household in New York State. Agriculture Career Day is the perfect opportunity to showcase this essential sector and cultivate its future workforce. We are proud to partner with the Department of Agriculture and Markets on this interactive annual event.”

Fair Director Julie LaFave said, “The Great New York State Fair is a tradition rooted in agriculture, and there’s no better place than The Fair for young people to get an up-close look at the endless opportunities in this industry. I encourage every young person at The Fair to stop by the Agriculture Career Day tent on August 22, take part in the Career Challenge, and learn more about how you can be a part of the future.”

As part of Agriculture Career Day, event participants are invited to enjoy the Career Challenge and enter to win one of two Nintendo Switches. The Career Challenge is a scavenger hunt around the Fairgrounds, where participants visit nine stations featuring hands-on activities that illustrate an agriculture career path to learn more about the various agriculture-related careers available to young people today and in the future. Young people interested in participating in the Agriculture Career Day events should register at the Main Gate and move through the Fairgrounds to various stops of the Career Challenge.

At each station, hosts from New York Agriculture in the Classroom, FFA, SUNY Morrisville, SUNY Cobleskill, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and more will talk about the career opportunities in that field of food and agriculture as participants complete an interactive task. Stops this year will help participants to:

• understand that all the products we use each day begin on a farm;
• sequence the steps of milk from farm to table, and identify related careers;
• identify the costs associated with producing New York food products; and
• learn about agricultural career paths, including:
  • environmental systems,
  • power, structural, and technical systems,
  • dairy processing,
  • natural resources, and
  • plant systems.

Participants who complete six out of the nine stops and turn their cards in to the Agriculture Career Day tent at the Main Gate by 2:00 pm will be entered in a drawing to win one of two Nintendo Switches.

Katie Carpenter, New York Agriculture in the Classroom Director said, “Agriculture Career Day is an exciting opportunity to expose and excite students about the depth of our food and agriculture systems, universities, and the variety of careers available in our state. By already being at The Fair our students are surrounded by agriculture, and Agriculture Career Day allows us to have a meaningful conversation about what students are seeing and experiencing and allow them to see themselves in the future of food.”

SUNY Cobleskill President Dr. Marion Terenzio said, “"Providing accessible agriculture education is crucial to preparing the next generation of leaders in this essential industry. Agriculture Career Day at the Great New York State Fair offers a substantial platform to showcase the diverse and rewarding career paths available in agriculture and a fantastic opportunity for young people to engage directly with these fields. We are thrilled to be part of this event again this year and to see the enthusiasm and potential it sparks among our future agricultural professionals.”

Sheila Marshman, PhD, Division Chair for Plant, Animal, and Agribusiness at SUNY Morrisville said, “Agricultural Career Day is more than just an event; it's an opportunity to explore the vital role agriculture plays in our world. It's a day to plant the seeds of passion and harvest a future filled with growth, innovation, and sustainability.”

Shari Lighthall, Director of Agricultural Education Outreach at the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences said, “Cornell Agricultural Education Outreach is excited to contribute to the development of the future agricultural workforce. We look forward to showcasing diverse career opportunities in agriculture to young fairgoers during Agricultural Career Day at the New York State Fair.”

In addition to Agriculture Career Day, students from across New York State show off skills in agriculture, science, and robotics during all 13 days of The Fair. Demonstrations take place daily in the Youth Building and FFA Building on the west side of the Fairgrounds. A complete schedule of events can be found at nysfair.ny.gov/your-visit/daily-schedules.

First launched in 2017, Agriculture Career Day at The Fair builds on the State’s ongoing prioritization of workforce development in the industry. In her 2024 State of the State Address, Governor Kathy Hochul launched several initiatives to provide New York students with educational, leadership, and training opportunities in agriculture. This includes the first-ever collaborative youth agriculture leadership conference to support further collaboration among youth agriculture organizations and identify opportunities for youth engagement that reflects the industry’s future workforce needs. The conference, which will be held in November 2024, will provide young leaders the opportunity to connect with state leaders and better u.nderstand how policy shapes the interconnected food, agriculture, and natural resource industries. Attendees explore the many challenges and possibilities within these industries with New York’s top leaders, connect with other students and professionals regarding their own interests and aspirations, and discover the vast array of career possibilities that await them in the future. Learn more at governor.ny.gov/programs/2024-youth-agriculture-leadership-conference.

Funding for the conference was included in the FY 2025 Enacted Budget, which builds on Governor Hochul’s support for the agricultural industry by including over $60 million in total local assistance to support local farmers and producers through key programs focused on research, education, and marketing. This year, this also includes funding for workforce programming and guidance, on-farm health and safety programs through the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health, and more.

The Fair starts Wednesday, August 21, and runs through Labor Day, Monday, September 2. Admission to The Great New York State Fair includes access to 39 national recording acts. There will be a daily 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. concert at Chevy Court (located near Gate 1), and a daily 8 p.m. concert at Suburban Park (located on the western end of the Fairgrounds, beyond the Midway).

Admission tickets, parking, and passes for The Fair’s famous Midway are now on sale and can be purchased by visiting The Great New York State Fair’s website. Admission tickets are $8 (plus fees) for adults while admission is free for children under 12 and senior citizens aged 65 and older. Fairgoers can also purchase a Frequent Fairgoer pass for $25 (plus fees), which provides admission to all 13-days of The Fair’s run. Parking is $12 per vehicle, plus fees

Updated concert schedules are available on The Fair’s website at pages dedicated to Chevy Court and Suburban Park.

Founded in 1841, The Great New York State Fair showcases the best of New York agriculture, provides top-quality entertainment, and is a key piece of the state’s CNY Rising strategy of growing the Central New York economy through tourism. It is the oldest fair in the United States and is consistently recognized as being among the top five state fairs in the nation.

The New York State Fairgrounds is a 375-acre exhibit and entertainment complex that operates all year. Audiences are encouraged to learn more about the Great New York State Fair online, browse photos on Flickr, and follow the fun on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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