Open House on the Farm celebrates Orange County agriculture

Posted 9/30/26

Families gathered at Sprucegate Farm on Saturday for the 35th annual Open House on the Farm, an event designed to give the public a closer look at modern agriculture and dairy farming in Orange …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Open House on the Farm celebrates Orange County agriculture

Posted

Families gathered at Sprucegate Farm on Saturday for the 35th annual Open House on the Farm, an event designed to give the public a closer look at modern agriculture and dairy farming in Orange County.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County coordinated the event, which was held at the family-operated dairy farm for the second consecutive year.

Visitors toured the working farm and met calves, goats, sheep, baby chicks and ducklings. The event also featured live music by local musician Tim VG and a “Touch-a-Tractor” exhibit that allowed visitors to get an up-close look at modern farm equipment.

Local farms and vendors offered fresh milk, ice cream and other farm products, giving attendees an opportunity to learn more about locally produced food.
Sprucegate Farm is home to 65 Holstein cows, three Jersey cows and 30 heifers. The farm encompasses 240 acres, including 155 tillable acres. About 60 acres are planted with corn and 27 acres with alfalfa, which is grown for silage to feed the herd.

The farm also places an emphasis on agricultural education, regularly hosting school field trips and supporting programs such as 4-H Dairy Explorers.

“CCE Orange County is thrilled to once again welcome the community to Open House on the Farm,” said Zoe Nafis, CCE Orange County’s livestock, equine and dairy program manager. “This event provides a unique opportunity for families to step onto a working dairy farm, meet the farmers and animals, and experience firsthand the dedication and care that goes into producing local food.”

Nafis said events such as the open house are particularly important as the number of dairy farms continues to decline.

The event was sponsored in part by Farm Credit East and 5 One Cattle Co. Additional sponsors included United Ag & Turf, Dave Gibaldi, Hillcrest Farms, Blueline Mechanical HV LLC, Hoeffner Farms, Cochecton Mills, Lucy T. Joyce and Chris Lewis, Marshall Machinery and Walden Savings Bank.

For more information about Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County programs, visit cceorangecounty.org.