MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. — Which celebrity cow milker is going to take home the famous blue ribbon, or shall we say two blue ribbons from Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County’s Ninth Annual Bountiful Harvest Celebration? Come join us for an evening of good old-fashioned fun on Friday, September 20 from 5:00 to 9:00 P.M at CCE Orange County’s Education Center and 4-H Park in Otisville! This year’s Bountiful Harvest is “Denim and Diamonds”, celebrating all things Country-Chic in a shining display of glam and style during our first annual glam contest!
Festivities will include hay wagon rides, a sumptuous farm-to-table dinner from locally sourced favorites prepared by Country Courtesy Catering, and the highlight event – a celebrity cow milking contest. All proceeds from the event will support the continued development of the Education Center & 4-H Park located at 300 Finchville Turnpike in Otisville, N.Y. When completed, the site will be a regional state-of-the-art education, exhibition, and outreach facility geared toward human development opportunities and cutting-edge agricultural programs.
As part of the autumn evening celebration, local celebrity cow milkers representing Orange County’s retail industry will compete head-to-head in a friendly cow milking challenge. The celebrities will have two minutes to show off their talent by hand milking a cow. All four celebrities are also collecting donations for CCE Orange County in a friendly “wagering” of pledges that accompany the contest. Celebrity milkers include David Mistretta of Woodbury Common Premier Outlet, Franco Fidanza of Fidanza Family Properties, Mark Adams of Mark & Sue Adams Greenhouses, and Eric Price of Pyramid Group Management. As we get closer to the event, the competition for who will bring in the most pledges increases tremendously as well as the hype for who will have the most milk in their milk bucket. Chris Van Aken, of Van Aken Dairy, in New Hampton, N.Y., will provide the celebrity cows for milking, as well as milking lessons to the contestants prior to the event.
“The goal of our unique fundraising event is to get the Orange County community involved with local agriculture and to educate residents about the numerous types of farming; all of which are taking place in their own backyards. We are delighted to have Country Courtesy prepare this year’s farm-to-table dinner with local products as well as to partner with local retailers for our cow milking contest!” said Lucy Joyce, Executive Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County.
Folks will have the opportunity to enjoy raffle baskets, old-fashioned games, and a live auction as they enjoy local, homemade apple crisp. We are excited to welcome back Derrik Wynkoop, President & CEO of Walden Savings Bank as our live auction auctioneer. All raffle baskets, game prizes, and live auction items have been donated by local friends and businesses of Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County.
CCE Orange County would also like to thank the 2024 sponsors for the Bountiful Harvest Celebration, with a special thanks to our Blue-Ribbon sponsor, Woodbury Common Premier Outlet!
Please note that tickets are required to attend this event and are $175 per person or $1,300 for a table of eight. To learn more about the event, purchase your tickets, or to pledge financial support for one of the celebrity cow milkers, visit www.cceorangecounty.org/events, or contact Jill Van Aken at 845-344-1234 or [email protected].
Cornell Cooperative Extension and its partnerships provide programs for Orange County residents on youth and family development; nutrition, health, and food safety; community and economic vitality; and agricultural sustainability through Cornell based research. Committed to Orange County, we design programs to meet local needs to enable people to improve their lives and communities. For more information call Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County at 845-344-1234 or visit our website at www.cceorangecounty.org.
Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities.
–Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County