Contacts:

Dave White, New York Sea Grant, Recreation/Tourism Specialist, P: 315.312.3042, E: dgw9@cornell.edu


Ithaca, NY, July 29, 2013 - The popular in-water farm pond life jacket demonstrations that debuted at Empire Farm Days last year are adding canoe and kayak safety for the August 6-8, 2013 event at Rodman Lott and Son Farms in Seneca Falls, N.Y. New York Sea Grant and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary educate audiences about the various types of life-saving floatation devices and the laws that designate who and when which types should be worn.

Bleacher setting is provided pondside for the free Save Your Own Life demonstrations daily at 10:30am, Noon and 3 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday and 10:30 am and Noon on Thursday.

Throughout the show that is the largest outdoor agricultural show in the Northeast, New York Sea Grant Launch Stewards will share tips on how motorized and non-motorized boaters can help slow the spread of unwanted aquatic invasive species through proper watercraft inspection and disposal of AIS.

The Stewards will be with the 2013 New York Sea Grant Discover Clean and Safe Boating educational vessel -- a 16-foot, made-in-New York, camouflage-colored Grumman fishing boat equipped with all the gear required and recommended for legal, safe and environmentally-friendly boating on New York water.


The August 6-8, 2013 Empire Farm Days will include in-water life jacket and canoe/kayak safety demonstrations by NY Sea Grant and the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.



The in-pond demonstrations and Discover Clean and Safe fishing boat are part of the Outdoor Sporting Center which has more doubled in size for the 2013 Empire Farm Days.


For more information on the Discover Clean & Safe Boat, contact White at NYSG's SUNY Oswego office, 315-312-3042 or click through the "News" section of www.nyseagrant.org/marina.


More Info: Empire Farm Days

Beikirchs Ammunition, celebrating its 80th anniversary in Rochester, NY, and Freds Tents, Stillwater, NY, are sponsoring the larger center with expanded offerings, including the latest safety information for hunting, fishing, archery and boating enthusiasts. Information on how to lease farmland for recreational uses, and other outdoor sporting resources can be found at the Center and throughout the exhibits by more than 600 representatives of agricultural organizations, institutions and manufacturers. Learn more at www.empirefarmdays.com.


More Info: New York Sea Grant

New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, is one of 33 university-based programs under the National Sea Grant College Program (NSGCP) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NSGCP engages this network of the nation’s top universities in conducting scientific research, education, training and extension projects designed to foster science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources. Through its statewide network of integrated services, NYSG has been promoting coastal vitality, environmental sustainability, and citizen awareness about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources since 1971.

For updates on Sea Grant activities: www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube links. NYSG also offers a free e-list sign up via www.nyseagrant.org/coastlines for NY Coastlines, its flagship publication, and Currents, its e-newsletter supplement, each distributed several times a year.