Locally grown fruits and vegetables, including varieties that are cultivated organically, will be featured during a Harvest Festival and Farmer's Market at Genesee Community College on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012.
The market in the Forum of the Batavia campus will have produce and other locally made goods for sale, and is open to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Vendors who plan to offer their harvest include:
• Lee Farms, Kent – organic beef, tomatoes (subject to change)
• Harper Hill, Darien – goats milk soaps
• Harrington's, Batavia – vegetables and fruits
• Hill 'n' Hollow, Pavilion – fruit vinegars, chutneys and sauces
• Roanoke Apple Farm, Stafford – apples
• GCC CEO Club – apple cider syrup and protein snacks
Children and animal enthusiasts will be delighted by the small animal "meet and greet" featuring bunnies, goats, a calf and a miniature horse, which will be grazing on the east lawn of the campus under the watchful eyes of students from the Veterinary Technology Club.
The market is part of a one-day Harvest Festival geared toward students who are considering careers in agriculture, bioengineering, conservation, environmental science and green technology.
The festival will feature a keynote speech from James Kingston of Monroe Tractor, as well as a panel discussion with former NYS Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Nathan Rudgers, who is the current director of business development at FarmCredit of Western NY, and nearly a dozen local experts covering a range of issues that deal with agriculture, including large animal concerns, getting products to market, ridding crops of pests and the finances of agri-business.
