HARRISBURG, Pa. — The 104th Pennsylvania Farm Show wrapped up today, after hosting 500,000 visitors during the eight-day event at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg.
The 2020 Farm Show theme, “Imagine the Opportunities,” encouraged visitors to find their place in agriculture as a consumer or producer, and consider career opportunities in agriculture, which has a $135.7 billion impact on Pennsylvania’s economy annually, and supports more than 580,000 jobs across the state.
Here’s a sampling of some statistics from this year’s Farm Show:
16 Calves born at the Calving Corner, nine heifer calves and seven bull calves.
11 sleepy piglets.
380 chicks hatched.
450 gallons of milk a day produced by dairy cows.
Nearly 2,000 butterflies.
1,290 pounds — weight of largest, blue-ribbon winning pumpkin. Pennsylvania ranks fourth in the nation in production of pumpkins, growing 6,900 acres.
24 college scholarships totaling $84,000, were awarded to agriculture students by the Farm Show Scholarship Foundation.
420 first-year FFA students from across the commonwealth earned their distinctive blue corduroy coats at the 91st FFA Mid-Winter Convention held annually at the Farm Show.
Half-ton of butter in the sculpture of Pennsylvania’s sport mascots featuring Gritty, Swoop and Steely McBeam. The butter sculpture, to be disassembled Sunday by 4-H members, goes to a methane digester on a farm and is converted to renewable energy.
Nearly 800 state and local officials heard about the state of agriculture in Pennsylvania, and innovators benefitting from state investments in their future from Secretary Russell Redding during Public Officials Day.
More than 57,500 cars parked in Farm Show Complex-operated lots.
PA Farm Show Complex and Expo Center is one million square feet.
Nearly 12,000 competitive exhibits, including more than 5,200 animal competitions.
Pennsylvania Co-operative Potato Growers sold 12.5 tons of French fries, some 22,000 potato donuts and six tons of baked potatoes.
19,000 gallons of ice cream used for milkshakes and ice cream cones, 7,000 pounds of mozzarella for cheese cubes and 450 loaves of bread for grilled cheese sold by the Pennsylvania Dairyman’s Association.
70 cooking demonstrations at the Culinary Connection stage.
Combined premium winnings of show animals in all classes: $200,000.
Honey extracted during demonstrations at Farm Show: 100 gallons.
A team of two Belgium horses from Bradford County, owned by Dwight Shoemaker broke the Farm Horse Pull record, pulling 7,850 pounds.
A record number, 36 whoopie pies entered in the baking contest.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show is the nation’s largest indoor agricultural event, featuring 12,000 competitive exhibits, more than 5,200 of which are animal competitions, plus 300 commercial exhibitors. The show runs January 4 – 11, 2020. Admission is free and parking is $15 in Farm Show lots. The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center is easily accessible from Interstates 81 and 83.
–Shannon Powers, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture