NYS Fair expands Voice of the Farmer Garden, adding a small apple orchard

The New York Department of Ag & Markets, the Great New York State Fair and CCE Onondaga announced that the New York Voice of the Farmer Garden has been expanded this year to include new cut flower beds highlighting New York’s growing commercial cut flower industry, an exhibit on wool pellets as soil amendments and a small, high-density apple orchard.

New York State Ag Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “As the oldest state fair in the nation, the Great New York State Fair has always remained deeply committed to showcasing its agricultural roots. I’m proud to say that today, it continues to serve as an exciting space for fairgoers to learn about our incredible agricultural community, and the Voice of the Farmer Garden, grown and maintained by our partners at CCE Onondaga, is an excellent example of this. Every year, we’ve seen the garden grow to showcase a broader picture of New York’s rich agricultural heritage, and I encourage fairgoers to stop by and explore the wide variety of crops and food products that we produce right here in our own backyard.”

The Voice of the Farmer Garden (VOFG) opened at the NYS Fair in 2023, becoming the very first statewide garden of its kind to open at a state fair in the U.S. The garden, which is located across from the Expo Center near the Goat Pavilion and kitty-corner from the Family Fun Zone, is a living, interactive learning space for visitors to see many of the major crops grown in New York.

In 2026, the VOFG donated over 112 pounds of fresh produce to food pantries across the City of Syracuse so far this year. In 2025, the garden donated a total of over 700 pounds.

Since its debut, with the support of Farm Journal Foundation and the National Association of the State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), the garden has expanded year after year to encompass a broader snapshot of New York’s ag landscape. In addition to showcasing over 45 varieties of vegetable crops, herbs, fruits and pollinator plants, the garden includes informational plaques on many aspects of New York’s agricultural industry, including livestock farming, urban agriculture, food supply chains and more.

This year, the garden has expanded to include new cut flower beds to highlight New York’s growing commercial cut flower industry. The new boxes, which were installed in late spring, include a variety of frequently grown cut flowers in New York State, with high-value crop dahlias, Oklahoma zinnias, ‘Mahogany Splendor’ hibiscus, marigolds, and celosia as well as greenery and filler plants like lemon basil.

The garden also expanded its apple tree exhibit to create a small, high-density apple orchard. The eight new apple trees were planted in May, with the help of State Fair Director Julie LaFave, and represent a mix of New York-native apple varieties. The new orchard showcases New York’s apple industry, which contributes roughly $1.3 billion in total economic output, provides more than 8,000 jobs and produces nearly $4 million in gross domestic product to the state’s economy.

To help highlight this new addition, the New York State Apple Association and CCE Onondaga staff will offer an apple fruit leather demonstration at the Wegman’s Kitchen in the Creative Arts Center on Sept. 3 at 3:30 p.m.

Additionally, this year, the garden is incorporating a wool pellets trial into a few beds in the garden. Wool pellets are raw wool that isn’t suitable for clothing. This wool, called grease wool, is used as a natural fertilizer that helps reduce waste, improve soil health and support resource-efficient food production.

Visitors can learn about New York State agriculture on a walking tour with QR codes that link to videos provided by Farm Journal Foundation and CCE Onondaga of farmers and others in the food supply chain telling the story of agriculture in New York and around the country. Master Gardener Volunteers and CCE Onondaga staff will be on site at the garden 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. every day of the fair. Visitors are encouraged to speak with staff to learn more about the garden, specific crops or agriculture in New York. Fairgoers will also be able to explore the garden’s map of prime soils and posters about farmland protection and the New York State Agricultural Census.

Our youngest fairgoers will also be able to once again enjoy last year’s popular interactive scavenger hunt by visiting the shelled corn wading pool containing tokens to learn about a crop and win a prize! The garden includes a toddler potting bench with soil and seeds, and a toddler picnic table with vegetable matching games.

The fair starts Aug. 26 and runs through Labor Day, Sept. 7. Tickets are on sale at nysfair.ny.gov. A single admission ticket costs $8 and includes access to all grounds entertainment and the fair’s award-winning concert lineup.

The fair continues to be one of the most affordable fairs in the nation, with admission remaining free for those aged 65 and older along with children 12 and under.