Farm Show

Are you suffering from the post-holiday blues yet? Or, despite the warmer-than-usual winter, long for the greener times of year?  There are few choices you have if you want a diversion for any reason in January. What about taking a road trip? Is there anything fun and free to do this time of year?

There is one answer to all of those questions, the 2016 Pennsylvania Farm Show. And, it’s not just for  farmers. It provides an atmosphere for everyone to walk through, observe and educate themselves about different areas of Agriculture - the Commonwealth's largest industry, and what the industry provides to them. The Farm Show provides a showplace for farmers to see the most up-to-date farm equipment, farming practices, and farming needs. Just as importantly, the show gives us regular folks an educational showcase to learn about agriculture and how the products they consume are harvested and processed.

Some fun facts about the Farm Show:

• It is free
• The show is the largest indoor agricultural event in our country.
• The Farm Show Complex houses 24 acres under roof, spread throughout 11 buildings including three arenas.
• The Farm Show Complex is used for events all year, but it is a green operation. Since 2010, changes made there have reduced the carbon footprint by 1650 metric tons each year.
• The food is amazing! Visitors last year consumed: about 100,000 milkshakes, 20,000 dozen potato doughnuts, 7,000 apple dumplings, 11,000 whoopie pies, nearly 9,000 Strawberry Surprise drinks, and 4,500 bags of maple cotton candy. Proceeds from food sales support eleven different agricultural organizations across the state.

The Pennsylvania Farm Show is educational too.  You can see exhibits and vendors promoting all sorts of farming related topics. Many people have never been exposed to the hard work of our farmers, and all the effort they put forth to feed us, and the world. On top of that, Penn State Extension holds workshops and demonstrations throughout the duration of the show. Some of the topics include: home food preservation, understanding rototilling your garden, attracting butterflies, gardening for seasonal color, poultry science, and gardening 101.

The Pennsylvania Farm Show is going on now though Saturday January 16. For a thorough list of activities, maps, and visitor information, go to www.farmshow.state.pa.us The show is well worth the trip.

Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Lackawanna County