FFA students interested in entering the New York State FFA Tractor Driving Safety Contest at the 2016 Empire Farm Days at Rodman Lott & Son Farms, 2973 Route 414 in Seneca Falls, NY, may pre-register by July 1. The competition will be held Thursday, August 11 as part of the Northeast’s largest outdoor agricultural trade show. Students complete a written safety exam, a parts identification task, and driving courses with 2-wheel and 4-wheel wagons. The Junior division is open to 14-16 year olds; the 16-18-year-old Senior division winner will compete at the Big E Exposition in Springfield, MA, in September.
‘Empire Farm Days provides a perfect setting for this annual competition that encourages students to make safety on the farm a priority by learning proper tractor operation,’ says New York State FFA Tractor Driving Safety Contest Coordinator Jon Clayson.
To pre-register, contestants may submit their name and age division by July 1, 2016 to JClayson@pioneercsd.org. Walk-up registrations will be accepted the day of the contest.
Contest sponsors include Case International, John Deere, Kubota, New Holland, H and S Farm Equipment, the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health, Java Farm Supply, Lamb and Webster, and the New York FFA Foundation.
The 300-acre Empire Farm Days features the latest farming techniques, tractors, trucks, and implements of all sizes and uses; crop and equipment demonstrations, Dairy Profit and other educational seminars, equipment and truck test driving opportunities, live cattle and horse demonstrations, farm safety and family life displays, and information booths by hundreds of agriculture-related vendors, organizations, colleges and associations.
Show hours are 9 am-5 pm on Tuesday, August 9 and Wednesday, August 10, and 9 am-4 pm on Thursday, August 11. Parking is $10 per vehicle. For daily schedules and more information visit www.empirefarmdays.com or call 877-697-7837.