Roberts Briggs says he couldn’t be more proud of the half-century he devoted to dairy farming.
The 76-year-old Afton resident has watched the industry go through change after change – some good, some bad – first as a son, then as a husband, and again as a father. Briggs is retired now. He recently sold the cows and his kids have started families of their own. With fond memories and no regrets, life on the family dairy farm for him has come full circle.
“It’s been a great way to live,” he said. “I’m happy and proud to have been a dairy farmer. It’s a great life.”
This Saturday Briggs, who doubles as the Afton town supervisor, will help honor the many others who are, and have been, honored to be local dairy producers. He’s kicking-off the 7th Annual Dairy Day celebrations Saturday at the county fairgrounds as Grand Marshall of the Main Street parade.
“It’s great for the farmers and great for the people of Chenango County,” Briggs said, speaking of Dairy Day. “It gives city people and outlying people an idea of what it takes to run the business and work the farm.”
Admission is free. The day’s events include a 5-K run at 9:30 a.m., sheep shearing and herding demonstrations, “kiddie” tractor pulls, famous cow and local farm history booths, antique milking machines demonstrations, oxen pull demonstrations, “farmer for a day” activities, petting zoos, a celebrity goat milking contest, milk mustache photos, ice cream raffles, farming award and a free stockpile of locally produced milk, cheese and yogurt.
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