GENEVA, N.Y. -- In recognition of the 125th anniversary of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station (NYSAES) in Geneva, N.Y., healthy food and healthy plants will be celebrated at a free open house, Sept. 15, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The official welcome takes place on the lawn of Parrott Hall at 11 a.m.

Visitors can view exotic butterflies and other live insects, tractors, heirloom gardens and a farmers' market, taste wine, cider, fresh roasted corn and apples, and purchase snacks and meals at on-site eateries. They can tour labs, station farms, the Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park and more.

Cornell scientists from the departments of horticultural sciences, entomology, plant pathology, and food science and technology will stage interactive exhibits and conduct field tours of cutting-edge research and outreach that show how their work impacts agriculture, food and bio-based industries in New York. More than 50 hands-on exhibits for children of all ages will demonstrate the contributions that researchers at the station have made over the past 125 years.

"Everyone is welcome to come and participate in the celebration," says station director Thomas J. Burr. "The NYSAES was established by an act of the state Legislature to promote agriculture in New York through scientific investigation. We have been working to do just that in New York ever since we first officially opened our doors in 1882."

Since affiliating with Cornell in 1923, NYSAES has gained national prominence as a center for research and outreach focused on the production, protection and utilization of fruit and vegetable crops.

Other partners in the open house include the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture Research Service, Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park, New York State (NYS) Ag and Markets, NYS Farm Bureau, NYS Seed Laboratory, Integrated Pest Management, NYS Wine and Grape Foundation and the Strong Museum.

For more information, visit the NYSAES Web site at http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu.