NORTH LAWRENCE â From the milking parlor, Stauffer Farms is coming to an at-home screen near you.
The 3,800-cow dairy farm on County Route 54 is one of three farms hosting virtual tours this week through the American Dairy Association North East. The Dairy Association advocates for dairy farmers in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
This weekâs tours last up to an hour and are geared toward K-12 students, specifically fourth- through seventh-graders at Stauffer, but are viewable to anyone interested in learning directly from dairy farmers. The live-streamed video tour begins at noon Thursday.
On-site and virtual dairy farm tours for classrooms took off in 2018, but virtual tours âhave grown in popularityâ for in-school and at-home learners alike, according to the Dairy Association. With school districts across the six states at varying phases of reopening from the COVID-19 pandemic, online offerings can reach more people â
SYRACUSE â North country royalty will be competing at the 58th annual state Dairy Princess Pageant this week, with the 2020 dairy princesses from Franklin and Jefferson counties competing for the crown.
Of the 26 county dairy princesses in 2020, princesses from 11 counties will compete in the two-day pageant from the Embassy Suites by Hilton Syracuse Destiny USA, streamed live online on Tuesday.
The state pageant is hosted by the American Dairy Association North East, which advocates for dairy farmers in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Princesses will be judged for communication skills, knowledge of the dairy industry, poise and personality across six categories: a personal interview, an impromptu question, a prepared adult speech, a product knowledge exam, writing skills and informal interaction with others.
Norwich Girl Competes For NY State Dairy Princess Crown
Twelve girls from across the state are competing to be The 58th New York State Dairy Princess. The winner of the crown will represent the American Dairy Association North East.
Shelby Benjamin of Norwich is one of those twelve. She says she’s honored to be able represent Norwich in the competition and has spent the last year focused on bringing fresh milk and nutritious food to individuals and families struggling in the pandemic. The role of Dairy Princess is to serve as spokesperson for dairy farmers, by spreading the message of nutrition and importance of the industry to the state economy.
Sara Fern Fitzsimmons, TACF Director of Restoration and Northern Appalachian Regional Science Coordinator
The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was once found throughout the forests of the Appalachian Mountains and was a primary component of Pennsylvania’s forests. In the 1800s, plant importation brought with it a devastating fungal disease that all but eliminated the American chestnut from its original range. Researchers at Penn State have been on the forefront to restore this species, exploring the many facets required for the reintroduction of disease-resistant populations.
The Appalachian forest ecosystem is vastly different now than it was over 100 years ago when the American chestnut was often the dominant species of a stand. Invasive and exotic vegetation, introduced diseases and pests, ravenous and excessive deer herds, overdevelopment, and threats of climate change face a species made effectively dormant by introduced disease.