(Madison County, NY- April 2013) Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County’s Agricultural Economic Development Program (AED) is looking for farms interested in participating in the County’s 6th Annual Open Farm Day, July 27.
Open Farm Day is a signature event scheduled just as the growing season gets into full swing. To participate, you or someone knowledgeable about the farm will need to be available between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 27 to welcome people to the farm, showcase your farm products and animal husbandry, give tours, offer samples and answer questions.
Open Farm Day is an opportunity for your farm to get free publicity. Each participating farm will have its information distributed in the official Open Farm Day Passport and will be featured on farm maps/trails distributed throughout the County.
Last year, 18,000 passports were printed by Price Chopper grocery stores and distributed as inserts in three local newspapers, at ten Price Chopper locations throughout Oneida, Madison and Onondaga Counties, farmers’ markets and throughout Madison County.
On last year’s Open Farm Day, an estimated 5,000 visitors stopped at Madison County farms, 25 percent of farmers sold more than $400 of products and 83 percent of farmers reported that Open Farm Day helped to increase awareness of their farm products.
Through the AED program’s relentless marketing strategy, over 2.45 million readers, viewers and listeners in Central New York and New England were made aware of Open Farm Day and the variety of farms and farm products available in Madison County. Open Farm Day events resulted in 15 print articles, two television appearances, and eight radio interviews. These numbers do not include purchased print advertisements on six websites and in three newspapers, the active Facebook and twitter accounts, or the 1,500+ unique hits to the Madison County Agricultural Economic Development Program website in the month leading up to Open Farm Day. On their own, none of the participating farms or markets would be able to generate the type of media coverage that resulted from Open Farm Day.
To register your farm, please submit a registration form via the mail or emailing to Darlene Curtis, dme6@cornell.edu. Call Darlene with any questions as well 315.684.3001 x 100. Farms must register by Friday, April 26.
For more information, please visit: www.madisoncountyagriculture.com
Hi,
I was wondering if it was too late to register for the farm visit day in July? I have been working to develop a small chicken and vegetable farm and would like to develop my customer base. One more question, my farm is technically not in Madison County but just over the line west of Chittenango in Onondaga county, does that disqualify me?
Thanks.
Bradley Hudson