Agriculture 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- West Springfield, Mass. -- August, 2009
THE BIG E 2009 NEW ENGLAND'S AGRICULTURAL TRADITION
The Big E continues the mission of its founder, Joshua L. Brooks, to highlight the produce, products and animals of New England farmers. The largest fair and livestock show in New England, The Big E attracts over one million visitors annually and is known for its numerous agricultural exhibits and contests, traditional and modern agricultural demonstrations and educational displays.
This year's Big E takes place Sept. 18 - Oct. 4 on the 175-acre grounds of Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Mass. The Mallary Complex is the hub of the Fair's numerous livestock shows, contests and exhibits with Farm-A-Rama, located in the Stroh Building, featuring special exhibits and attractions, all designed to educate the public about the large role agriculture plays in daily life.
Agricultural Demonstrations - Visit the Mallary Complex to see the 400-foot walkway filled with animals, exhibits and agriculture demonstrations. Watch sheep being sheared, working sheepdogs and goat milking; listen to the Singing Refrigerator tell you about nutrition, and play the 3-A-Day Dairy Game Show, both sponsored by the New England Dairy Promotion Board. Check out the interactive agriculture exhibits and learn how agriculture affects the economy and our day-to-day life.
Butter Sculpture -- See master butter sculptor Jim Victor create this year's amazing work of art, "New England Dairy Landscape," Sept. 18-27. The sculpture, sponsored by Massachusetts Dairy Farmers/Massachusetts Dairy Promotion Board, will depict the dairy cow at home in the New England countryside. Watch it come to life over a ten-day span, under the Mallary Rotunda, where it will be on display for the remainder of the Fair.
The Fiber Nook - See how wool and fiber from animals is turned into useful everyday articles. The Fiber Nook showcases spinning and weaving techniques in addition to products made of wool, alpaca and other camelid fibers. After you've watched how the process works, the finely crafted end products are for sale as well.
Milking Parlor - Learn about the milking process up close and personal while cows are milked in this state-of-the-art parlor. You can see modern milking techniques twice each day. And if you miss the demonstration, a continuously running closed-captioned educational video, in both English and Spanish, explains the process and provides nutritional information about dairy products. Be sure to try some fresh dairy products, including delicious milkshakes, at The Dairy Bar under the Mallary Rotunda.
Contests of Strength and Stamina - Set aside some time to visit the Coliseum! Sheep Dog Trials are spectator-friendly, timed events, Sept. 28 & 29. Witness the amazing strength of horses and oxen in Horse Pulling Competitions, Sept. 21 and Ox Pulling Competitions, Sept. 22.
Giant Pumpkin and Squash Contest - Fri., Sept. 18 (youth) at 6:30 p.m.; Fri., Sept. 25 (adult) at 6:30 p.m. Come see contestants try to break the giant pumpkin record set in 2008 at 1,284 lbs.
Farm-A-Rama - Animals are everywhere at Farm-A-Rama, from minute-old baby chicks to the famed Hallamore Clydesdales. And don't miss the wonderful artistry of the FFA Landscape and Floriculture Exhibits and Competitions. High school students will work in groups to create landscape and floral designs for this year's Eastern Regional Competition. A key element to Farm-A-Rama is the interaction between the public, animals and farm experts. Try your hand at milking Lucy, our Holstein model cow, hold a rabbit and watch baby piglets at play. You'll find all this and more at Farm-A-Rama in the Stroh Building.
New in Farm-A-Rama for 2009: Through the Seasons: The New England Farmers' Year - In the six state area of rugged old New England, the activities of the farm and its landscape have always been determined by the season. Through spring, summer, autumn and winter, the New England farmer applied his talents and traditions to the care of his family, land, barns and livestock with a knowledge born of practical experience, determination, experimentation and shared knowledge. This exhibit explores the work of the farm through the chores of the seasons, the tools and crops, the almanacs and beliefs that make this region special. Through images, photographs, farm periodicals and the words of the men and women who lived this agrarian life, the exhibit reminds us of the roots The Big E celebrates today.
Christmas Tree Contest and Exhibit - Christmas in fall? Why not! The 2009 Big E welcomes back the New England Christmas Tree Growers as they present educational demos on Christmas trees near the Mallary Rotunda. See the winners of the best Christmas tree and wreath contests.
Northeast Gold Wine Competition - A total of 54 vineyards submitted 267 entries in the fourth year of this competition. All medal winners will be showcased and on display in the Young Building during the Fair. Wines include hybrid and native grape wines, meads, fruit wines and fortified wines produced in wineries located in New England and New York. A complete list of results from the fourth annual Big E Northeast Gold Wine Competition is available online at TheBigE.com/agriculture.
New England Regional Cheese Competition - The Big E held its second Big E Gold Medal Cheese Competition with many categories for entries from a variety of milk sources. All winners from this contest will be on display in the Young Building during the Fair. The competition was open to all New England Commercial and Artisanal Cheesemakers. For a complete list of the winners, visit TheBigE.com.
Creative Arts Show - If you are skilled in sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, beading, spinning or hand weaving, you will love this display. Two divisions - felting, fulling and recycling, and photography -- return for a second year. Winners of The Big E's annual craft show will be on display throughout the Fair in the New England Center. This year's special theme is "Colors of Autumn." Demonstrations are also held daily.
Calling all "green" designers - new at this year's Big E is the Trashionable Fashion competition held Wed., Sept. 23 and Thurs., Oct. 1. The Green design movement is growing because of its use of less energy and creation of fewer emissions. Eco-conscious designers can show their "green" by creating a fashionable article of clothing or fashionable accessory using 90% clean recycled materials. Judging will be at 11 a.m. both days. Entries and winners will be on display until 8 p.m.
The Big E's Cake Decorating competition is open to all cake decorators (beginners to masters), as well as culinary and cake decorating students. This year's theme is "Fun at The Big E" and judging takes place at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Sept. 22. Entries and winners will be on display until 1:30 p.m. (morning contest) and 8 p.m. (afternoon contest) in the New England Center. The Plein Air Painting competition will take place Sept. 29 with judging at 4 p.m., awards presentation at 5 p.m. Winners will be on display until 8 p.m.
To enter any of our competitions, visit TheBigE.com/creativearts.
4-H Activities - Over 2,500 4-H club members participate in The Big E. As guests of the Exposition, 4-Hers take part in competitions showing sheep, dogs, horses, dairy goats and dairy and beef cattle. They also test their skills in quiz bowls and demonstrate various learned skills in the New England Center.
The 4-H Beef Project will culminate Monday, Sept. 28 at 6:00 p.m. with the 4-H Beef Sale. After four days of various competitions, the steer, which have been raised for 9 months by 4-H members, will be auctioned. Proceeds from this project often are used by the 4-Her for college funds or to purchase a steer for next year. The project is designed to teach agricultural business management and economics.
Eastern States Exposition Horse Show, sponsored by Williams Distributing - A tradition at The Big E, the prestigious Eastern States Exposition Horse Show offers top competitors from throughout the Northeast an opportunity to showcase their talents against some of the best riders and horses in the land. There's plenty of thrilling equestrian competition to watch, so grab a snack or beverage and find a seat in the grandstand as all the action unfolds in the ring. It all begins with the Saddlebred, Hackney, Morgan and Friesian Show, Sept. 17 - 20, featuring the NEHC Saddle Seat Medal Finals and ASHA Regional Championships, and finishes with the Hunters & Jumpers, Hunt Seat Equitation, Sept. 30 - Oct. 4, featuring the USHJA Zone 1 Classic Challenge. In between, mighty and powerful hitches compete in the Draft Horse Show Sept. 24 - 27. The event includes the prestigious $30,000 Big E Draft Horse Challenge. The 4-H Horse Show takes place Sept. 23 - 26. All horse shows are held in the Coliseum.
Celebrate the best of New England at The Big E, Sept. 18 - Oct. 4, 2009 in West Springfield, Mass. For more information, visit our website at TheBigE.com.
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