Business

Not the butter sculpture: milk draws fairgoers

The 800 pound butter sculpture of a scene off the farm (seen here on the World Dairy Business Blog) is usually the headliner at the Dairy Building of the New York State Fair.But people wait in a long line for another hot item being used to promote New York’s dairy industry: a cup of milk that costs a quarter at the dairy bar.That includes a young James Moore, who says "It’s the best chocolate milk and white milk I’ve ever tasted in my life." "The Chocolate is more chocolaty and it’s nice and cold."The milk is all whole milk, which probably helps. Chocolate milk rules overall. The milk bar serves five cups of chocolate for every cup of plain milk.Mary Ellen Chesbro, agricultural manager for the fair says the total cups served goes up every year. This year, she's hoping the milk bar will top 400,000 cups of milk out this year.The whole operation is run by a task force of volunteers from the dairy industry, from farmers to distributors. The goal is to promote New York dairy – the state’s biggest agricultural product.Seventeen-year old Dale Durant, who serves milk to fairgoers says it can get pretty busy at the counter."Really nice days there’s a lot of people here. Weekends we get really busy."So to get a taste, go when it’s raining.And keep an eye out for the other smart entrepreneurial move in the Dairy building - the Syracuse bakery selling cookies next to the milk bar.

Eating local is easier said than done but NY farms still play a lead role in the economy

WXXI News | By Matthew Leonard, Editor

Published August 28, 2012 at 8:32 AM EDT

Here's your Trail Mix for Tuesday.

Why are so many Gen-Yers ending up in retail?

Production from nearly 37,000 farms keeps New York up there with the best in the nation.

A Brooklyn architect makes plans for an urban farm in Buffalo.

Bloomberg says that natural gas is crucial to the future of New York City.

Rochester school attendance figures may be as low as 50%.

Business

A North Country Regional Food Hub aims to overcome some of the obstacles to eating local reports Joanna Richards for WRVO.

And New York farms continue to be a big player in the economy generating $4.7 billion in products annually according to the office of the state Comptroller and the RBJ.

A garage inventor is challenging changes to federal patent laws reports the NYTimes.

This Rochester family transport business is coming up to 75 years on the road reports the Democrat and Chronicle.

Energy

Report finds that New York City's metropolitan region's natural gas system is operating at its limit and pressconnects has more.

Technology

What's an Artfarm? WBFO's Eileen Buckley has the answer.

Next Big Future gazes into the crystal ball and outlines some upcoming technological breakthroughs.

Education

83 academics and staff have written an open letter to the administration of SUNY Buffalo requesting documents related to the Shale Resources and Society Institute reports Bloomberg.

The Innovation Trail's Daniel Robison has the lowdown and an exclusive interview with one of the key players at the Institute. His full report will be available here later this week.

The Rochester City School District is trying to get a better handle on school attendance figures reports Tiffany Lankes for the Democrat and Chronicle.

Tom Tobin at the Democrat and Chronicle looks at how so many college graduates are ending up working in retail.

Bits and Pieces

Wired Science puts Neil Armstrong's remarkable contribution in context.