The year 2016 marked the 100th anniversary of the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Though the show covers and celebrates all aspects of Pennsylvania agriculture, dairy had a spotlight throughout the eight-day show.

1,000-pound butter sculpture

A sculpture made from more than 1,000 pounds of butter and sponsored by Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program has been a staple of Pennsylvania Farm Shows since 1991. This year’s sculpture paid tribute to the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show and the state’s agriculture industry.

It depicted the many commodities grown and produced within Pennsylvania with a blue rosette ribbon, while capturing a show enjoyed by all ages: an FFA member exhibiting her dairy cow, along with a 4-H member with his baby chicks, a lady and gentleman showing off their blue ribbon apples and pies, and a quilt and spinning wheel behind them.

These features were surrounded by the words “100th PA Farm Show” as a blue and gold centerpiece.

“For the past 100 shows, the Pennsylvania Farm Show has provided an opportunity for exhibits to display the best of the state’s agriculture industry and for visitors to learn more about how their food goes from the farm to the shelf,” said state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding at the unveiling of the sculpture.

“Whether you’re enjoying your first farm show milkshake, displaying your best sewing work or exhibiting your prized animal, everyone has their own blue ribbon experience at the farm show.”

Redding unveiled the sculpture with the help of farm show exhibitor and dairy farmer Debbie Cornman of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania; State Dairy Princess Savannah Zanic of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania; FFA President Lily Guthrie of Perry County, Pennsylvania; 4-H President Courtney Walter of Cumberland County; and sculptors Jim Victor and Marie Pelton.

“As a family, we always enjoy interacting with the public to talk with them about dairy farming and dairy products,” said Cornman, who shared her blue ribbon experience during the butter sculpture unveiling. “We let the children pet the cows, and we usually get a crowd when we milk the cows. This is a great opportunity to promote the dairy industry.”

Crafted by Victor and Pelton of Conshohocken, Montgomery County, the butter sculpture creation begins in mid-December and is finished in time for the farm show. Victor also creates sculptures using chocolate and cheese.

At the close of the show, the butter, which was donated by Land O’Lakes in Carlisle, Cumberland County, was given to a Juniata County dairy farm. The butter was put through a methane digester, where it was converted into renewable energy for the farm.

New farm-to-shelf display

The 2016 Pennsylvania Farm Show featured a new display portraying the journey from the farm to shelf, visually connecting the consumer to the supply chain. The Weis Markets’ Farm-To-Shelf pod was officially unveiled at the beginning of the show in the Weis Expo Hall at the Farm Show Complex and Expo Center.

“This display is a partnership between the department, Weis and some of the state’s leading commodity sectors,” said Redding. “With more people further and further removed from agriculture, we too often take for granted the food on our plates. We don’t give a lot of thought to all of the hard work by so many people to move that food from the field or the farm to the table.

This display is about illustrating the tremendous investment producers make 365 days to ensure a safe, reliable food source for Pennsylvania consumers as well as those beyond the state’s borders and around the world.”.

This new display showcased four primary segments of Pennsylvania production agriculture: apples, dairy, pork and potatoes. Each of the featured commodities demonstrated the steps taken in their production processes; as visitors walked through the display area, they interacted with producers, processors and retail experts. Each commodity coordinated a dedicated “pod” or section of the display. Details on each of the four pods follows:

The potato pod
The key focal point of this portion of the display was a state-of-the-art potato planter and tractor representative of today’s modern potato production and the technology used.

Pennsylvania-grown fresh potatoes and finished consumer products were also part of the display. The pod featured a potato plant which showed visitors exactly how potatoes grow during the plant’s life cycle.

The dairy pod
This portion of the display showed how fresh, wholesome milk gets from the dairy cow to consumers. Visitors interacted with dairy farmers, viewed live a cow and calf, and experienced the latest in milking technology, all while learning more about the state’s number one agriculture industry.

The apple pod
The apple pod featured four distinct marketing channels for Pennsylvania apples: wholesale apples traveling to retailers via Pennsylvania packing houses; processed apples featured in a Knouse Foods display, packaged, sliced apples in the Appealing Fruit display; and Pennsylvania hard ciders and the cider-making process.

The pork pod
This pod had an interactive display which included a sow and her litter of piglets. Visitors could also meet and talk with the pork producers who care for the animals. A cut chart puzzle and informational banner in the display further told the story of how the pigs raised become the safe, nutritious and healthy pork people purchase at the grocery store and serve their families.

New milkshake flavor unveiled

Farm show visitors had the chance to try a new sweet treat when visiting the eight-day show. During the food court opening, state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding joined the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association to unveil the new centennial milkshake flavor – strawberries and cream – in honor of the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show.

Some 140,000 vanilla, chocolate and mixed milkshakes are served at the annual show. The strawberries and cream flavor will have likely added to that number at the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show.

Fill a Glass with Hope expands

In addition to the new shake, the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association joined with the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and Feeding Pennsylvania to announce the statewide expansion of the charitable fresh milk program they and Central Pennsylvania Food Bank began last January: Fill a Glass with Hope.

Pennsylvania now is the first and largest fresh milk distribution program in the U.S. Last year, donations to the Fill a Glass with Hope campaign enabled the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank to surpass 1 million servings of fresh, nutritious milk distributed to individuals facing hunger in 27 counties.

“By taking Fill a Glass with Hope statewide, our goal is to double the amount of milk supplied in 2016, providing 2 million servings to Pennsylvanians facing hunger,” said Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association executive director Dave Smith.

The 2016 campaign launched with more than $150,000 raised.

“There are more than 500,000 children at risk for hunger in Pennsylvania, which equates to filling Penn State’s Beaver Stadium approximately five times. Clearly, the need for this program is tremendous,” Smith said. “We are proud to partner with Feeding Pennsylvania to make sure no one in Pennsylvania is denied fresh milk.”

“Feeding Pennsylvania and our member food banks are grateful for the Pennsylvania Dairymen and Mid-Atlantic Dairy for their support and leadership in guiding us through creating Pennsylvania’s first statewide charitable fresh milk program,” said Kris Douglas, board chairman of Feeding Pennsylvania.

According to the USDA, in 2012, more than 1.82 million individuals in Pennsylvania were at risk of hunger. This figure includes more than 562,000 children, or one of every five children in the commonwealth. Feeding Pennsylvania’s network of statewide food banks provides food assistance to more than 2 million low-income men, women and children.

Smith and Douglas encouraged individuals, businesses and foundations to support the campaign. Each $1 donation provides eight servings of milk.  PD

—Compiled from Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association news releases

PHOTO 1: Pennsylvania Farm Show butter sculpture crafters Jim Victor and Marie Pelton of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, put finishing touches on the 2016 sculpture, which was unveiled Jan. 7, 2016, to kick off the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg. This year’s sculpture paid tribute to the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show and the state’s agriculture industry.

PHOTO 2: Stella LaTorre, 4 (Harrisburg), and Benton Smith, 4 (Dillsburg), pop out of a selfie stand to reveal the new centennial shake flavor is strawberries and cream at the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show.

PHOTO 3: State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding joined Dave Smith of Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association on Jan. 8 to unveil the new centennial milkshake flavor, strawberries and cream, in honor of the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show.

PHOTO 4: A volunteer is pictured here, pouring a strawberries and cream milkshake at the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show. Photos courtesy Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.