Being held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Centre
By Diego Flammini, Farms.com
Agriculture enthusiasts, industry professionals and visitors alike will converge at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for the 99th edition of the Pennsylvania Farm Show.
“For nearly a century, Pennsylvanians have traveled to Harrisburg each January to see and showcase the best of Pennsylvania agriculture, from the finest animals to unique hand-crafted wares,” said George D. Greig, Secretary of Agriculture in the show’s visitors guide. “We thank you for being part of this tradition.”
From January 10 – 17, visitors will be able to take in the 6,000 animals, 10,000 competitive and 300 commercial exhibits.
Tractor pulls, cooking demonstrations, livestock and produce judging, agrilympics, square dance contests, pony pulls and livestock sales are only some of the activities available to Farm Show visitors.
For the 25th year to commemorate the show’s kickoff, organizers revealed a sculpture comprised of nearly 1,000 pounds of butter. The piece shows a food bank worker pouring milk into the glass of a little boy as he stands next to his mother. A dairy farmer and his cow look on as they stand next to a refrigerator with gallons of milk and the words “Fill a Glass with Hope” carved above.
"For 25 years, the butter sculpture has been a landmark within the Pennsylvania Farm Show," said Greig in a release. "I'm proud that this year showcases the department's pioneering initiative that gets milk into the hands of Pennsylvanians who need it the most. This milk distribution program is only possible because of partners in our dairy industry and at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank."
Pennsylvania’s major products in 2013 were hay with a value of more than $795 million and corn at over $664 million.