Tours - Seminars on Wheels - Wednesday, October 28, 2009Please use these descriptions to rank your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice on your registration application. Tour offerings may be subject to change depending on business availability. Participants must be 21 or over to take part in wine tasting events. Each tour includes lunch – highlighting some of central New York’s finest flavors. Key for activity level:
1. 4-H SET at Cornell (SET) Discover the source of implementation for many of our 4-H SET programs in NYS on the beautiful and diverse Cornell University Campus. We will begin at the Cornell Dairy Bar, just across from the headquarters for our NYS 4-H Geospatial Science Program, Rice Hall. There we will briefly discuss how 4-H Geospatial Science is implemented in NYS under the SET initiative with the help of Cornell’s IRIS program (Institute for Resource Information Systems). A short walk through beautiful gardens on the Colleges of Agriculture & Life Sciences and Human Ecology will bring us to Cornell’s Space Science headquarters, where Nancy Schaff, Education and Public Outreach Coordinator, will talk about 4-H Space Science Programs and activities. You will also get to view some of the exciting work Cornell has done with the Mars Rover Project and more. We will meet the Food and Fiber Science tour group at Clark Hall for a catered lunch. Following a catered lunch and a ten minute walk through the heart of the Cornell campus, you will view an excellent mineral and gem collection at Snee Hall, Cornell's Center for Geological Science. Our final stop will be the famous underground Campus Store. For a picturesque ending, the coach ride home will take us through Amish farm country. (expect a 2 hour bus ride – one way; limit 17) 2. A Taste of New York (Healthy Lifestyles) Your taste of New York’s unique and diverse agricultural bounty begins at Gro-Moore Farms. Learn about the history and growth of this vibrant farm market and garden center. After a tour of the greenhouses and fun activities for kids of all ages, you’ll have a chance to shop for your favorite farm products including locally made preserves and specialty treats that will satisfy the most discerning tastes. Enjoy lunch and a presentation at Wegmans in Canandaigua. Ranked #3 on FORTUNE magazine’s 2008 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For, you’ll have the chance to experience all the charm of this Rochester-based supermarket chain that raised the bar on the shopping experience! Are you ready for some Sweet Expressions? This gourmet confectionary shoppe will allow you to sample many New York made items, in addition to fine NY chocolates. End your day with a tour and wine tasting at the New York Wine & Culinary Center, a facility designed to showcase and provide a gateway to New York’s dynamic wine and food industries. 3. Ag Extravaganza (SET) Ever wonder who develops all those fruit varieties? Or who dreams up new drinks and foods? Researchers at Cornell University's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva will walk you through those processes as you explore the facility and discuss innovative, high value food products. Discover how enology and viticulture research helps local wineries and vineyards. Participants will have the opportunity to check out the nearby Cornell Agriculture & Food Technology Park where real-life businesses collaborate with researchers to gain a necessary and competitive edge. Learn how local youth benefit as they investigate careers in agriculture. Enjoy the autumn colors and lake views on route to Wagner's Winery and Micro Brewery in Lodi. After lunch at the winery’s Ginny Lee Restaurant, learn about viticulture practices, experience every facet of the winemaking operation, and take a self-guided brewery tour. Taste a wide selection of wines, non-alcoholic grape juice, and craft-brewed beers. 4. Come Grow With Me (Healthy Lifestyles) Start your day at the Cornell Plantations, an area of great natural beauty that includes an arboretum, a botanic garden, and natural areas--all of which are part of Cornell University. Staff will give a guided tour through the Pounder Vegetable Garden, which traces the evolution of the home vegetable garden through cultures and time. Participants will also engage in our youth program activities: What’s Corny, What’s Not? and Corny What’s it? The program is outside so dress for the weather. Participants will delight with lunch from the Ithaca Bakery during which Ithaca Children’s Garden staff will present an overview of the Garden, its mission, programs, and unique partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County. The Ithaca Children’s Garden is both a place and program, with a 3-acre garden in Cass Park and a variety of education programs. Visit the garden and select two program mini-topics to explore in-depth. Choices may include: wetlands ecology in the wetland habitat garden, green building with the strawbale Troll House, vegetable gardening in the Growing Gardens, and living sculpture with the sod, apple, and labyrinths. (expect a 2 hour bus ride – one way; limit 17) 5. Cow To Carton - The Milk Story (SET) With this seminar, participants will experience several unique components of the milk story - beginning with a tour of O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative, Inc., which is known for unique products and processing technology. They are famous for condensed and evaporated dairy products, flavored specialty drinks, nutritional beverages, and specialty butters and so much more. Enjoy a visit to Yancey’s Fancy cheese shop (with tasting of course!) and a tour of Oliver’s Candy and Fine Chocolates, complete with samples and a gift shop! Then it’s on to Oakfield Corners Dairy/Lamb Farms, Inc. with a rotary milking parlor. They crop over 8,000 acres and have a rabbi on site for kosher milk production. Special guest presentations by 4-H staff will introduce participants to the New York Agriculture in the Classroom and the New York Junior Dairy Leader Program. Learn about New York’s efforts to engage students in learning about agriculture through the Ag Literacy Day program and meet Jr. Dairy Leader alumni. The Junior Dairy Leader program prepares 16 – 19 year olds for successful dairy industry careers. 6. Eat Well, Live Well - Living the 4th H (Healthy Lifestyles) Explore “Healthy Lifestyles” with a presentation and tour of Wegmans Food Market, ranked 3rd in 2008 on FORTUNE magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For. Committed to healthy lifestyles, learn how Wegmans helps customers choose and prepare healthy, nutritious meals through their “eat well live well” challenge. Also experience 4th grade tours, cooking classes, and “community giving” efforts. After a tasty Wegmans’ lunch, you’ll have time to shop and tour this impressive store! Your next stop will be a visit to Long Acre Farms, home of NY State’s original “Amazing Maize Maze”. More than just a corn maze, this 3rd generation farm operation includes a farm market, ice cream and gift shop, and so much more! You’ll be “Fit To Be A-Mazed”! The day concludes with a visit to Foodlink, a regional food bank, serving a 10 county area in Upstate New York. Foodlink obtains and redistributes over 8 million pounds of food annually to a network of over 550 human service programs. Learn about how Foodlink is committed to combating hunger at its roots through developing a family of programs to address health and wellness and rebuild the local food system! 7. Erie Canal Tour (Healthy Lifestyles) Settle in for a narrated heritage tour on the historic river boat “Rose Lummis” on the Erie Canal, the most famous canal in America. The tour will focus on how the Erie Canal was instrumental in the development of local industries and cities as well as the rest of the country. The agricultural and related businesses and original stone buildings along the canal will be traced and linked to the present. Part two of this aquatic experience examines The "Exotics of the Erie Canal". Here, participants get to work with samples of non-native species living in the Canal and then the samples are discussed in reference to the impact on the changing food web. Enjoy lunch at the Adams Basin Inn Bed and Breakfast, nestled on the towpath of the historic Erie Canal. Then it’s back on the boat for a delightful trip back to Spencerport – complete with a wine tasting. (This tour is weather dependent, limit to 40) 8. Experience the Difference (Civic Engagement) Take a step back to 1880, where the quilts are handmade and the horses and buggies are for real at Weaver-View Farms. The Weaver family invites you to visit their 1800's Mennonite farmhouse filled with delightful treasures. These 13 rooms are decorated to feel like you’ve stepped back in time with the hand-stitched Amish and Mennonite quilts, wrought iron, tinware, candles , hand-painted Amish furniture, wall hangings, pillows, baskets... and much more. Shipping is available because you won’t be able to carry all the keepsakes and souvenirs you will want to buy! At The Essenhaus Restaurant - guests will be treated to an old-fashioned home cooked meal with Mennonite flavor. In German, Essenhaus means "eating house". Oak Hill Farms Bulk Food Store will provide a taste of the Amish country for you to take home. You’ll find an incredible assortment of bulk baking and cooking items, and be amazed at the variety of muffin, cakes and sweet roll mixes, hearty soup mixes and stock bases, rices and grains for soups and side dishes. Prices are very reasonable so you’ll want to stock up! 9. From Labs to Life (SET) What technology was used to fit Batman's costume? Do the ways that teens reason lead to risky behavior? How does the intake of calcium and vitamin D affect the health of adolescent mothers and their babies? Explore these and other questions at the College of Human Ecology on the beautiful campus of Cornell University. Learn about computer-aided design and view student-created exhibits. Tour the Human Metabolic Research Unit that includes a specially-designed kitchen and laboratories for evaluating human performance, body composition, and chemical analyses. Experience the 3D body scanner that captures 300,000 data points on the body in only 11 seconds. Meet the faculty and students who make this college so exciting. Lunch will be catered on campus. (expect a 2 hour bus ride – one way; limit 20) 10. Garden Galore (SET) Witness the splendor of Hurd Orchards, a unique mother-daughter owned fruit and flower farm. In addition to a jam kitchen, bakery, and farm store, Hurd offers classes, children’s programs, tastings, and teas. Savor one of Hurd’s formal Orchard Luncheons served in their unique barn, where everything is homemade and served in elegance, all surrounded by beautiful flowers! Freshwise Farms, a hydroponic greenhouse grows over 30 varieties of greens, herbs, and produce. In addition to your tour, you’ll learn about their social enterprise partnership with Foodlink, a Rochester-based regional foodbank. You’ll be inspired by your final stop of the day, a visit to the gardens of a Rochester elementary school. See first hand how Rochester Roots, Inc., a vibrant non-profit-organization “committed to the creation of urban school and community garden-based educational programs for youth and adults”, is helping to create a locally sustainable food system. Learn how their School-Community Garden project has transformed underutilized schoolyards into urban gardens and how they have helped both youth and adults learn to prepare, enjoy, and market their harvested produce. 11. Grand Canyon of the East (SET) Experience one of Northeast’s most amazing natural wonders at New York’s Letchworth State Park, known as the “Grand Canyon of the East”. Located less than one hour from Convention Headquarters, you will experience some of Western New York’s finest autumn offerings. Park Naturalist, Doug Bassett will take the lead in sharing, not only the amazing natural history of the area, but also the rich historical Native American and early European local heritage. Lunch, served at the famous and elegant Glenn Iris Inn, will be a memorable experience, perhaps equaled only to the breath taking view of the Middle & Upper Falls and canyon railroad trestle viewed during a short hike afterwards. To bring about the full natural beauty of Letchworth, photographer and author Ray Minnick will share a post lunch photo session on “Canyon Lights: The Seasons of Letchworth State Park”. There may be no better place for a fun and exciting 4-H GPS Geocache experience (for those who wish to try this) than on the park grounds. Participants should be sure to have comfortable footwear and possibly a rain jacket, weather dependant. And DON’T forget your camera!! 12. Hi-Tech Agriculture (SET) Choose this seminar and you will be amazed at the possibilities! Learn about vermicompost (worm power!), and technology in the dairy industry with a tour of Noblehurst Farms, Inc., including a tour of a rotary parlor and manure digester. Learn how this sixth generation farm operation has diversified to include a commodity purchasing business and herd management company. Over lunch, you will learn about technology use in the local maple industry; then visit Oxbo International Corp., a facility that develops, manufactures, and supplies specialized agricultural equipment for niche market agribusiness worldwide. 13. Imagine The Possibilities at 4-H Camp (SET) Need some new and different ideas for your camp program? Looking for an effective program delivery method for youth at risk, military youth, or to promote a particular subject matter? Here’s an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills to address those issues. You will get to visit 4-H Camp Wyomoco and participate in a variety of activities and discussions focusing on camp programming. Barry Garst, Director of Research Application for the American Camp Association will share the latest in camp evaluation, including measuring life skills and outcomes, as well as an array of other camp tools and resources. Break out sessions led by 4-H colleagues will focus on team building, experiential learning, environmental education, camper behavior, counselor training, and expanding SET offerings at camp. There will be an opportunity to tour the camp, discuss risk management related to the horse programs conducted there, as well as risks involved in various camp programs. The NAE4-HA Camping and Environmental Education Task Force helped to plan this Seminar on Wheels. Their objectives are reflected in the selected topics being offered, along with networking with other 4-H professionals on the subject of camp, and facilitating fun ways of sharing camp songs, traditions and philosophy. Sessions will be applicable to both resident and day camp settings. Lunch will be provided. 14. Let’s Play (Healthy Lifestyles) Come along for a fantastic day of adventure and play. When was the last time you visited the zoo? One of the classic activities of childhood now has a new twist. The tour starts off at the Seneca Park Zoo where you will meet the infamous Polar Bears and view the exciting new Baboon Exhibit as well as the Elephant Splash Pool. Jump back on the bus and head over to the Strong National Museum of Play for lunch and fun. The museum is a wonderland of fascination. Inside it you will find life size pop up books, an interactive child size supermarket, Sesame Street, an enormous enclosed butterfly garden, a working carousel, the Strong Express Train and the nation’s largest toy, doll and game collection. This tour is promised to leave you smiling! Bring your wallets because both sites have great gift shops that may help you find unique gifts for the upcoming holiday season. 15. Native American Culture (Civic Engagement) At the Rochester Museum & Science Center you will learn about the fascinating culture, accomplishments and personalities of the Seneca People through the special exhibit called “At The Western Door”. The exhibit includes artifacts that date from around 1550 to 1820. Participants will be able to enjoy other exhibits at the museum. For lunch, participants will dine at Hawthorn’s Restaurant which is recognized as one of Rochester's most exquisite hidden treasures. Ganondagan State Historical Site is a Native American community that was the flourishing, vibrant center for the Seneca people who are one of the six nations comprising the Iroquois Confederacy. Their democratic ideals served as an inspiration for the U.S. Constitution, and their matriarchal society led to a woman’s right to vote. From politics and the environmental movement to food and medicine, the roots of contemporary society can be traced back to this historic site. Participants will tour a full-size replica of a 17th century Seneca Bark Longhouse, be entertained by a story teller, experience the visitor center and video. If time permits, you can even walk miles of self-guided trails.
16. Photography: Past and Present (SET) Whether you’re in front of the camera or behind it, this tour is something to think about if you are at all interested in photography! Enjoying the fascinating exhibits at the Eastman House and viewing the cutting edge technology at the Rochester Institute of Technology will give you enough background information to support your county 4-H Photography projects. The tour starts out with a digital photography workshop held at the conference center with a former Kodak Ambassador, Bud Prince. Educators may recognize “Bud” from his 4-H volunteer work at Kansas’s Photo Adventure Camp. Following the workshop, travel by bus to visit the world’s leading museum of photography and film in the heart of Rochester’s cultural district, the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film. A tour of the estate will provide you with the opportunity to trace the history of photography and film from its roots. Enjoy lunch at the Crescent Beach Hotel located on the shores of beautiful Lake Ontario. Then it’s back on the bus to travel to The Center for Imaging Science at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), the largest educational and research facility of its kind in North America. RIT is the only university in the nation to offer bachelors, masters and doctoral programs in science imaging. 17. Science in the Community (SET) The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a must for those who love our feathered friends. Participants will be treated to a guided tour of the facility’s interactive exhibits by a seasoned birder, and Tompkins County 4-H club leader and teens. For lunch, participants will enjoy Ithaca Bakery’s catering which will be served at the Paleontological Research Institute located on scenic Cayuga Lake in Ithaca. PRI’s Project Manager for Evolution and Global Change will talk about their recent collaboration with 4-H youth who are "Tracking Climate Change in [their] Backyard!" Participants will be impressed by the other educational outreach programs: Fossil Finders uses Devonian fossils from New York to teach about science and evolution, and The Mastodon Matrix Project allows classrooms to gather data for scientists on the mastodons collected by PRI staff, including the one on display in the museum! After an informational lunch, enjoy a self-guided tour as you explore the history of the Earth and its life through natural history, hands-on science, and art exhibitions at the Museum of the Earth at the Paleontological Research Institute (PRI). PRI stresses the interdependence of the Earth and its life, fostering greater public understanding of the environment, its history, and its future. (expect a 2 hour bus ride – one way; limit 32) 18. Surrounded by History (Civic Engagement) If you are interested in US History, then this is the seminar for you! Participants will tour the High Falls National Historic District and experience the majestic 96 foot waterfall and gorge while learning about the history of the Flour/Flower City. Visit the Susan B. Anthony House and learn about her lifelong struggle to gain voting rights for women and equal rights for all. Tour the home of this legendary American civil rights leader during the most politically active period of her life, and the site of her famous arrest for voting in 1872. Stroll to the park to see the life-size bronze statue of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass having tea. Discover the fun of hands-on science, technology, and local cultural heritage at the Rochester Museum & Science Center. Visit the “Flight to Freedom: Rochester’s Underground Railroad” exhibition and discover courageous African Americans who traveled through Rochester on their way from slavery to freedom. The museum also has an exhibit on Fredrick Douglass, who fought to abolish slavery and help others seek freedom, while making Rochester his home for 25 years. After lunch at the museum, you’ll enjoy your visit to the Greater Rochester Vietnam Veterans Memorial which commemorates the service, valor, and sacrifice of more than 28,000 Vietnam Veterans from the six-county Rochester region as well as the 280 local citizens who gave the ultimate sacrifice. 19. The Art of Glass (SET) The artist in you won’t want to miss The Rockwell Museum of Western Art, offering one of the finest collections of American western and Native American art in the eastern United States, located in charming Downtown Corning. Just around the corner, you’ll be amazed with a tour the Corning Museum of Glass, where glass is art! Over half a century, the Corning Museum of Glass has grown into a collecting, exhibiting, teaching, and research facility. It is now home to the world's largest collection of glass, containing more than 45,000 objects representing 3,500 years of glass history. The Museum hosts visitors from local and global locations to explore every facet of glass. Young and old learn about glass and its place in art, history, culture, science and technology, craft, and design. Have lunch among the artwork at the very modern museum lunch arena, and then shop in the renowned Glass Market Gallery. If that isn’t enough, participants can enjoy all that Corning has to offer including nostalgic shopping areas, and the Corning Revere Factory Store. (expect a 2 hour bus ride – one way) 20. Vets and Pets (SET) Tour the nation’s first GREEN Animal Shelter, the SPCA of Tompkins County! The facility opened its doors in 2004, and now holds the distinction as the nation's first "green" animal shelter (U.S. Green Building Council) for its environmentally minded, sustainable design. Then it’s on to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. It is one of 28 veterinary colleges in the United States, and one of only three in the Northeast. Participants will experience a demonstration from Michael Wildenstein, Cornell's resident farrier. Wildenstein is one of only 40 farriers living who is certified as a fellow with honors of distinction of the Worshipful Company of Farriers, England. He is also only the fourth living, and the first American ever, to receive his fellowship with an honors designation. Learn about the history of the farrier program at Cornell University, various shoes, and basic trimming and shoeing techniques. Lunch will be catered on campus. The tour will continue with Dana Palmer, Senior Extension Associate/4-H Youth Outreach Programs, Department of Animal Science at Cornell University who will introduce the nationally distributed 4-H curriculum PAWSitively Youth: A Guidebook about Dogs for Community Outreach Leaders. This NYS Award Winning curriculum provides a self-directed learning guide intended for use by a teen or adult leader who has a basic level of knowledge about canines and dog handling experience. Participants will also learn about additional state-wide NYS 4-H Dog programs, and receive a complimentary copy of the curriculum. (expect a 2 hour bus ride – one way; limit 17) 21. Women’s Rights (Civic Engagement) Travel to Seneca Falls where the women's rights movement began in 1848. Visit the Women's Rights National Historic Park and learn how ordinary citizens fought for women's right to vote. Celebrate the achievements of American women at the National Women's Hall of Fame. Enjoy lunch and wine tasting at Ventosa Vineyards, a Tuscany-style winery overlooking lovely Seneca Lake. Imagine yourself living at Rose Hill Mansion located near Geneva. Built in 1839, the home is an exceptionally fine example of Greek Revival architecture and its twenty-one rooms are furnished in period pieces of the Empire style. At the final stop, relax like royalty as you sip from a selection of local wines, browse the gift shop, and enjoy the views at Belhurst Castle, an elegant resort voted "One of the Most Romantic Places in New York State."
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minimal amount of walking 
moderate amount of walking
better wear your sneakers! Lots of walking (a good thing :) 
| National Association of Extension 4-H Agents • Updated: May 7, 2009 |