Week-long ag extravaganza opens in Harrisburg, featuring animal contests, farm equipment exhibits, cooking and sewing demonstrations and competitions, and — of course — mountains of food.
"Watch it there, Matty." This cow tries to keep a close eye on its groomer, Matt Stahlman of Myersdale, Friday at the Farm Show.
Lloyd Hess of Willow Street gives the new turkey meatball sub a try in the Farm Show's food court.
A little girl tries to take a cow on the school bus in this year's butter sculpture. After the Farm Show, the 900 pounds of butter will be converted into fuel.
By RYAN ROBINSON and JENNA SPINELLE
Harrisburg
Updated Jan 05, 2008 12:34
Gena Strzelecki wasn't too happy about getting up at 5 a.m. today to drive a friend to the Pennsylvania Farm Show.
"I saw a planet (in the sky), it was so dark and early," the Fleetwood woman said.
But when she arrived and peered into the gigantic main hall, the overwhelmed Strzelecki realized she wouldn't regret the trip.
"I had no idea how big and how many displays," she said.
Strzelecki and her friend Carol Kurpiewski, also of Fleetwood, peered at a map of the 25-acre complex.
Then they were off to find where they had to go to enter Carol's apple-and-cheddar cheese pie in the apple pie contest.
The 92nd annual state Farm Show kicked off today in clear, cold weather, with unseasonably warm temperatures forecast for much of the rest of the week.
Gov. Ed Rendell was set to give the governor's address.
The State Police Mounted Drill Team was on schedule to perform and high schoolers from around the state prepared for two rodeos today.
Draft horses, ag education exhibits, poultry and wine also are being judged.
In the main hall, judges are tasting the state's best apple pies, cookies, brownies and chocolate cakes.
The food court started churning out baked potatoes, batter-dipped vegetables and all the other mouth-watering favorites whose sales totaled $1.3 million last year.
A junior lamb skillathon and a rabbit youth showmanship contest took place this morning.
What did Abigail Gunning, 9, of Carlisle want to see?
"Bull-riding!" she exclaimed while jumping up and down.
Her father, William Gunning, had his eyes on a milk shake and potato donuts, and maybe a bloomin' onion.
A fashion show featuring homemade clothing was set to strut off at 5 p.m.
In the show, Alexis Kellogg, 5, of Lititz, will model pants and a shirt made by her grandmother, Ena Bieber, of Sinking Spring in Berks County.
Wendy Kellogg, Alexis' mother, helped the judges of the Farm Show's photography contest on Friday.
She also entered a photo of her son, Johnathan, 1, in one category. But all the contests aren't the main reason her family attends the Farm Show.
"My son loves tractors," Kellogg said. "They sometimes let kids get up on them. Alexis loves horses. I can't wait to see their reactions."
At the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau's booth in the expo hall, children were testing their farm knowledge at the "Wheel of Food."
They spin a wheel, which eventually stops on a picture of food. The child is then asked to point to a picture of the animal that the food comes from.
The child gets a treat just for answering the question.
Lancaster is very well-represented in the 2008 Pennsylvania Farm Show's Agricultural Technology Display competition, in the expo hall.
Three of the seven life-size FFA exhibits showcasing agricultural advances are from county chapters from Manheim Central, Penn Manor and Pequea Valley high schools.
Farm Show visitors will vote through the week on a "People's Choice" award for the top display.
This year's popular butter sculpture at the Farm Show depicts children boarding a school bus and a girl leading a cow.
Jim Victor, of Conshohocken, sculpted the scene in about 10 days from about 900 pounds of butter.
At the end of the Farm Show, the butter will be scraped off its frame, plopped into barrels and converted into about 116 gallons, or $377 worth, of biodiesel fuel, according to Glen Cauffman, manager of Penn State University's farm operations.
The butter display is appropriate in a state that is third in the country in butter production.
Friday was the final set-up day for everyone from FFA groups to vendors to various state exhibitors.
Fresh, hand-tied bridal bouquets arranged by Ashley Haller, of Reinholds; Katrina Kulp, of Denver, and Amanda Patton, of Denver, were among the thousands of competitive entries being judged.
Farm equipment, including antiques, were on display in the expo hall.
Among the features was a Worley & Obetz 1932 Ford Bucket truck, so named because all the fuel was taken off the truck in buckets.
Also, a huge New Holland combine and a1946 Farmall BN tractor.
In the food court, workers were preparing tons of food.
New Holland native Chris Herr, of PennAg Industries, was busy "making sure everything worked" in the organization's area.
Good thing, because 10 paid workers and 350 volunteers were set to sell 7,000 whoopie pies, 20,000 sticky buns, 10,000 fish sandwiches, 8,000 pounds of pork in pulled-pork sandwiches, 100,000 chicken nuggets, 10,000 chicken wings, about 18,000 chicken breast sandwiches, 20,000 hot dogs and other items in the area.
Grassland FFA from New Holland sends a team of nine students to help Herr every day of the week during Farm Show, Herr noted.
Lloyd Hess, of Willow Street, was also helping Herr out, and was beaming because Hess Barbecue Catering recently won 15th place in a worldwide pork barbecue contest.
Many farm animals were being brought into the complex Friday. Some were being cleaned and clipped and others were already being judged.
C.J. Furlong, of C.J. Cattle Co. in Mount Joy, was overseeing the preparation of 11 Hereford cattle he would show this week, and 10 others on which he was doing custom work.
Visitors who take a great photo at the Farm Show could win up to $100 and a VIP parking space for the 2009 show.
Details are on the Farm Show Web site under "Media."
Starting today, PCN will televise more than 140 hours of Farm Show coverage. A daily schedule and channel designation are at www.pcntv.com.
The Farm Show runs today and Sunday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 12, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Parking is $5.
The complex is at Cameron and Maclay streets in Harrisburg, just off Exit 67A of Route 81.
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