VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: 10th annual Harvey Skeele Onondaga Farm Fest announces the farms involved this year
Rece Allen: Ryan McMahon, Onondaga County executive, and David Knapp, chairman of the Onondaga Agriculture Council, hosted an event at the CNY Regional Market, where they announced the new farms added to the 10th annual Harvey Skeele Onondaga Farm Fest in September.
David Knapp: We’ve got some new farms this year. We’ve got some old faithfuls. But it’s going to be a great year, 12 farms in total.
Allen: The Farm Fest is named after Harvey Skeele, who was one of the founders of the Agriculture Council and a co-chairman with Knapp. His sister, Linda Meyers, says that he was extremely passionate about farming and was the only person she knew who cared that much about farming.
Linda Meyers: On behalf of our family, we are just thrilled hat he’s been honored in this fashion.
Allen: The “Buy Local. Buy Onondaga Grown” campaign’s mission is to connect the Onondaga community with farm culture. The Onondaga Farm Fest is a way for people to visit local farms and learn about the benefits of purchasing products directly from the farm rather than from grocery stores.
Knapp: Sunshine horses up in Baldwinsville. They are a horse rescue, but a wonderful job of showing people what the operation is all about. And that’s local, very,very, experienced is going to be this year at Sunshine Horses.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Onondaga County Agriculture Council Chairman David Knapp and Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon announced the list of farms included in the Harvey Skeele Onondaga Farm Fest, which will take place Sept. 19.
The annual Farm Fest is now in its 10th year and has been named after Harvey Skeele, one of the founders of the Onondaga County Agriculture Council who shared the chairman role with Knapp. The festival allows community members to visit farms and learn about farm culture and the benefits of purchasing products directly from farms rather than grocery stores.
“In a time where there are food security issues in the community, I think it is really important that we look to our local farms as a solution,” McMahon said.
Knapp said it was only right to name the event after Skeele because of all the hard work he devoted to farming. He added that Skeele loved bringing people onto his farm to learn how things work.
“He was one of the only people I ever knew that was so passionate that it made you crazy sometimes,” said Skeele’s sister, Linda Meyers. “On behalf of our family, we are just thrilled that he’s been honored in this fashion.”
Skeele died in 2021, but his legacy and philosophy continue to live on with his name now attached to the festival.
The following 12 farms will participate in the Harvey Skeele Onondaga Farm Fest this year:
- Emmi Farms
- Sunshine Horses
- RGB Horses
- Anyela’s Vineyards
- Navarino Orchard
- Dutch Hill Maple
- Brady Farm
- Rocking Horse Farm
- Albanese Longhorns
- Chicken Ranch Country Stores
- Tre-G Farms
- Palladino Farm Heritage Hill Brewhouse