BERNE — Berne farmer Emily Vincent hopes to draw attention to the beauty of New York state and its food systems, as well as the declining number of lamb farms in the region, by throwing a “Lamb Jam” that will bring together musicians, chefs, and the community at large.

The event will be held at Two Rock Ranch in Berne on June 21, from 3 to 7 p.m.

“I just want to get people out of town to the country to see how beautiful [New York state] is and how their food is produced,” Vincent told The Enterprise this week, adding that she hopes to also showcase that local and ethically-raised livestock are a better purchase than foreign-raised livestock. 

To do this, chefs from around the Capital Region will present food for festivalgoers to try, as will artisans like Carrs Creek Soap, Autumn Hill Alpacas, and various woodworkers, potters, and crafters. 

Because Two Rock Ranch is considered a model of regenerative agriculture, walking tours will be held for those interested in learning more about those practices, and experts like New York State Field Veterinarian Amy Willsey will be on-site to share information as well. 

New York State Commissioner of Agriculture Richard Ball, too, will be at the event. 

Music will be permed by the New Leaf Irish Band.

The Lamb Jam comes at a time when New York State is seeing a decline in farms and loss of farmland. Between 2017 and 2022, the state lost 8.3 percent of farms and 5.3 percent of its farmland, both well above the total United States loss-rates of 6.9 and 2.2 respectively, according to the Office of the New York State Comptroller. 

“In the midst of such a challenging time in agriculture and national conversation, we believe stories like this matter deeply — stories that bring people together, celebrate hard work, and give communities something to rally around,” Vincent said.