New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Agricultural research station in Geneva, New York, United States
The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station is a state-run research facility located in Geneva, in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Its grounds include laboratory buildings, greenhouses, orchards, and open test fields where scientists work on developing new crop varieties and farming methods.
The station was founded by state law in 1880 and opened in 1882, making it one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the country. It later became affiliated with Cornell University, which expanded its reach and the scope of its research programs.
The station has long had ties to the farming communities of upstate New York, and some parts of the grounds are open to the public. Walking through the orchards and trial plots gives a real sense of how food crops are tested and selected before they reach farms.
The grounds are easy to reach by car and visitor parking is available on site. Since the orchards and test fields are explored on foot, sturdy shoes are a good idea, especially after rain.
The station bred several apple varieties that are now grown in orchards around the world, including the Empire apple. Many visitors walk past the very trees where those crosses were first made without realizing it.
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