ASO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Auguat 10, 1996
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
SENECA FALLS, NY.—What
started back in 1933 as an agricul
tural show sponsored by the
Empire State Potato Club at “Pota
to Field Days” has grown to one of
the major farm trade shows in the
Northeast With SS2 exhibitors of
farm machinery and services on
300 acres of the Rodman Lott and
Sons Farm located along Rt 414
south of town, the event now know
as Empire Farm Days attracted
75,000 visitors, including many
from Canada this week on the
three-day run Tuesday through
Thursday.
“Each year we try to learn some
thing from the year before so we
can improve the show each year,”
said Melanie Wickham, show
manager. “For example, last year
we initiated the Dairy Profit Semi
nars as part of the show. These
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Kayla Vossler, five year-old daughter of Dan and Rose
Vossler, Welisvllle, N.Y., gives the cameraman a milking
demonstration on the fiberglass cow.
The hugh field of display equipment Included many tents and flying flags.
Empire Farm Days Has Small Beginning:
Now Major Northeast Farm Trade Show
seminars offer the latest manage
ment and profitability strategies
from those who know die business.
Dairy producers, employees and
industry experts share information
with individual presentations and
in a roundtable format
“In addition, since exhibitors ate
a very important part of die show,
this year we have divided the exhi
bit area into zones, and officers of
the show spread out over the
grounds each morning to talk to
each exhibitor to see if they have
any needs.” Wickham said. “We
try to meet those needs immediate
ly rather than have an exhibitor
unhappy for a whole day.”
One of the highlights of the
show is the field demonstrations.
Here farmers had the opportunity
to see competing makes and mod
els of equipment under field trial
conditions. Tillage and hay making
(Turn to Page A3l)
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Crowds were constant at the regularly scheduled equipment demonstrations.
Farmers had the opportunity to get In close to the working machines to examine
field operation.
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Big equipment on display for all to see.
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je « irs enjoy a pretend tractor d /.Austin
2, and Tyior 3, were with their grandfather Robert Wood*