00:00 - Happy New Year to you.

00:01 - Welcome to the 2024 Farm Show Preview.

00:05 - Always honored to host this show.

00:07 - As most of you know, this is a state sponsored show.

00:11 - It is not something that, you know, just the Department of Agriculture does.

00:15 - It is something that for 108 years, we have demonstrated as a Commonwealth

00:22 - our interest and support in this industry called agriculture.

00:26 - And we get a chance once a year during this month of January

00:31 - to celebrate agriculture, to put that on display

00:33 - for our citizens of PEI and quite frankly, around

00:39 - the nation and the world to see.

00:43 - It is such an honor to host it,

00:45 - to tell the great story of AG, to engage the folks of Pennsylvania,

00:49 - to honor the work of agriculture, but also those folks

00:53 - who are key to making this industry a success.

00:57 - Our farm and the agribusiness community.

01:00 - But we also understand that you cannot do this

01:03 - without a recognition that you are in a relationship with our communities.

01:08 - Right.

01:08 - We are part and parcel to Pennsylvania, the fabric of this state.

01:12 - So we have a theme this year of connecting our communities.

01:17 - And we believe that it is both a recognition of that interconnectedness

01:22 - that we demonstrate every day in what we do in the industry,

01:27 - but also that that is a symbiotic relationship.

01:31 - It is one that we need the community

01:34 - to recognize the value and the importance of Pennsylvania

01:39 - agriculture as part of our community,

01:42 - as part of our food system, which we recognize most easily.

01:47 - But it's also all of the other things that we come to expect

01:51 - from the industry of agriculture, the jobs, the environment,

01:55 - quality of life, and a long list of things

01:58 - which we'll use this week to sort of

02:02 - tell that story and those stories throughout.

02:05 - But we can't do this without a farm show director.

02:09 - Always.

02:10 - Please stand with Sharon Meyers and her team

02:14 - that yes, they they are responsible for the farm show, which we know.

02:20 - But there's also a complex and a very complex job.

02:24 - And Sharon does that

02:26 - every day of the week of the year.

02:29 - So thank you, Sharon, for the work that you do here and really appreciate

02:34 - what we've done to prepare for this for this show.

02:39 - I'll turn to share in a moment.

02:40 - But one of the opportunities you'll have this morning in the preview

02:44 - is to really get a chance to meet some of the people

02:48 - who make both the farm show and the industry of agriculture work.

02:52 - And we're pleased to have a few of them with us today.

02:55 - There'll be a lot more here in a few days, but you'll get a chance

02:59 - to see some of them and meet some of them.

03:02 - We say often that there's a lot of different ways to tell the story

03:05 - of agriculture, but there's no better way than through the people.

03:10 - Right.

03:11 - It's the folks at the end of the day who are committed to this industry,

03:14 - who recognize what it takes to stay in it.

03:18 - We as an administration and a department have worked hard to ensure that

03:22 - that continues, that we honor both the history and the heritage of AG,

03:29 - but at the same time are thinking about the future of agriculture.

03:32 - And we want to make sure that in the years to come that we can stand here and talk

03:38 - just as passionately and

03:40 - energetically about what the future of agriculture looks like.

03:43 - But that's going to take a full partnership with a lot of people

03:48 - in our community to make that make that happen. So.

03:51 - Sharon, you want to share?

03:54 - Sure.

03:55 - So, first of all, again, thank you so, so much for being here today.

03:57 - We are so happy to play host to the 108th Pennsylvania Farm Show.

04:01 - Could not agree

04:02 - with the secretary more in that connecting communities is what we do.

04:05 - Well this facility does it best this time of year for farm show

04:10 - but we do it throughout the entire year playing host to a number of events

04:14 - that draw all different types of demographics to this building.

04:16 - And we're extremely happy to do that.

04:19 - Food, definitely, as the secretary mentions, brings people together.

04:22 - No better place to get your great food than this week

04:25 - coming up here, as well as learning all about agriculture.

04:28 - A lot of really great displays that you're going to see.

04:31 - Some today, some throughout the week.

04:33 - We are still in full setup mode.

04:35 - So you guys are getting a preview, a really good preview to

04:38 - what's to come because in a couple of days it'll look completely different.

04:42 - The jobs the secretary mentioned, that is what we do really well.

04:45 - This facility generates

04:47 - millions and millions, 300 million plus of economic impact

04:51 - annually to this community, to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

04:54 - Through the jobs we create, the events that we host,

04:57 - the food that we sell, the gas that we sell from people driving in.

05:00 - And we're really, really honored to do it.

05:02 - So just a huge thanks, everybody, for being here today.

05:04 - Thanks to the leadership, both downtown as well as across the street

05:07 - for allowing us to do what we do.

05:09 - It's something we love and we're really happy to host this week.

05:12 - So any questions throughout the day?

05:14 - Just give me a shout and we'll be happy to answer them for you.

05:18 - So we're going to start the tour here just to say a couple of things.

05:22 - You'll hear us throughout the tour and we'll do some talking and narrating.

05:26 - But but most importantly, you'll get a chance

05:28 - to meet some of the folks, as I noted,

05:30 - that will show you sort of the farm to fork.

05:33 - It's the agritourism.

05:34 - It's the industries that are important to us

05:36 - that that speak to the diversity of agriculture in the state.

05:40 - They are, you know, segments of and sort

05:43 - of representatives of a lot of other pieces

05:47 - that you'll get a chance to see throughout the the full eight days of the show.

05:52 - But in the state, I mean, a couple of things for for us.

05:54 - One, we're very proud that we have an industry

05:59 - that supports us in so many different ways.

06:03 - We lead the nation in farmland preservation.

06:07 - Right.

06:08 - Think about what it means in terms of our capacity

06:12 - to produce in the

06:13 - future as that land is preserved in perpetuity.

06:16 - 6300 farms in the state

06:19 - have entered this covenant with us to preserve those lands.

06:23 - We have more young farmers under the age of 35

06:25 - than any other state in the nation.

06:29 - More young farmers under the age of 35.

06:33 - Right.

06:33 - We're number two in direct market sales,

06:37 - meaning from farm directly to consumer.

06:41 - Number three, and organic production in the nation,

06:44 - the only state with three ports that link us to the other parts of the world.

06:49 - Right.

06:50 - In Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and Erie, the only state that links us to the other

06:55 - 95% of the available stomachs someplace

06:59 - other than the United States of America.

07:02 - You think about the assets, our depth in livestock,

07:06 - the only state with a state level farm bill in the nation.

07:11 - You have to have the chairman of the House Agricultural Committee in D.C.

07:14 - writing the next farm bill.

07:16 - These are all things that we celebrate during this week.

07:20 - And I think sort of underscore both the significance of agriculture

07:24 - as an industry and the common thread that runs across our communities.

07:30 - But it's also how we're connected to the community.

07:33 - All of that is what we celebrate this week,

07:36 - and we really appreciate each of you joining us today

07:40 - to preview this farm show of the 108th Pennsylvania Farm Show.

07:44 - But also you get a little taste

07:47 - of what this industry is about in our state

07:50 - and how we as a department and a government

07:53 - and the work of the administration and many others come together

07:57 - to celebrate it supported champion that

08:00 - and really recognize its contribution in so many ways to both our past

08:06 - and our future.

08:07 - So let's take a tour and entertain

08:10 - your questions and comments and look forward to the conversation.

08:14 - Thank you for welcome to.

08:17 - So you want to be a farmer?

08:18 - All right. How many folks want to be a farmer?

08:21 - Yeah, right.

08:22 - This is a great addition.

08:23 - Several years ago, we had this sort of vision

08:28 - of how do you represent the diversity of agriculture?

08:32 - How do you help folks sort of get oriented to what the possibilities are?

08:37 - And to see this full spectrum of production, from organic

08:42 - to conventional to plants to all of the tools you need in the knowledge.

08:48 - Right. So let me turn it over.

08:50 - You guys introduce yourself to talk about what you do

08:53 - and what you envision for the week. Great.

08:55 - My name is Jennifer Brodsky, and I've been coordinating this space

08:59 - for the last nine years.

09:00 - It's really been a passion project.

09:02 - We're really excited about it.

09:04 - This year you might be able to see that we're doing a lot on Cut Flowers,

09:08 - which is a very large, I believe, third

09:11 - highest grossing crop in Pennsylvania.

09:14 - So we'll be doing a lot about cut flowers, dried flowers and value added.

09:19 - You'll also see a lot

09:20 - about growing in high tunnels, which is the structure you see here.

09:25 - We have Rodale Institute here and I want Chris Barfield from Farmer John

09:30 - to talk a little bit about some of the offerings

09:32 - that she's going to be providing to really help people

09:35 - learn about how to start their garden and how to start planning.

09:39 - Yeah.

09:39 - Hey, everybody, I'm Krista Barfield, founder and CEO of Farmer on Agriculture.

09:44 - And really, this work is all about one thing to become a farmer.

09:47 - I became a farmer about six years ago,

09:50 - and when I decided to do that, it was like, how do I do this?

09:53 - Like, what are the next steps?

09:55 - And I figured it out on my own.

09:58 - But it was it would be nice to know about resources like this and thousand.

10:01 - When I learned about say you want to be a farmer, I was like,

10:03 - I have these skill sets that I learned along the way.

10:05 - Now I can share them with other people.

10:07 - So currently, Farmer John is the largest black owned farm in Pennsylvania.

10:10 - We produce organic produce and we're really proud to be able to share

10:14 - our skills with everyone, especially because we're organic growers.

10:18 - So I'm really excited about this week.

10:20 - We're going to be doing hands on workshops with you all, teaching you regardless

10:24 - if you have a windowsill, a small garden in your backyard or a large farm.

10:29 - I'm going to teach you how you can produce food, produce

10:32 - value, added products, all of whatever space that you have.

10:36 - That's great.

10:36 - It's a great point, too, because both of us are first generation farmers,

10:40 - and so we had to find resources on our own.

10:43 - And so this is really about connecting people to growing their own food

10:48 - on whatever scale.

10:49 - And we're really excited to share that knowledge and also

10:52 - to connect with the incredible organizations around this state.

10:56 - Like Krista has a farmer training program.

10:59 - Pasta will be here.

11:00 - You'll get to learn so much more about all the amazing offerings of PDA

11:04 - and how they support first generation and new farmers.

11:07 - And we're really excited to welcome everyone to this amazing space.

11:10 - Yeah, really excited.

11:13 - It's one of the you know, the pieces

11:15 - we hope that folks see during the week is that you can be first generation.

11:19 - Right.

11:20 - And wherever that spark

11:23 - first came. Right.

11:25 - You're here. I'm a Philly girl. You're feeling girl.

11:27 - You're Philly girl, right?

11:29 - You know, who had a passion for ag and sort of took that on and

11:33 - found the right resources and the mentors and the people and the resources

11:37 - here in Pennsylvania, like Rodale, which is,

11:40 - you know, the birthplace of organic agriculture, is in Pennsylvania.

11:43 - It's Rodale Institute.

11:44 - They will be here as well.

11:46 - But to see the the span of first generation

11:49 - and you will meet 10th generation,

11:51 - you will see Amish in the English would be black, and they're white

11:55 - right through the hills and the valleys and the streets and towns.

11:59 - All of that is inside this farm show,

12:02 - inside the story will tell this week about connecting our community.

12:06 - So thank you.

12:07 - I look forward to get my hands dirty

12:09 - right throughout the week, but thank you for what you do.

12:13 - Perfect. Thanks. Okay.

12:15 - Thank you. All the best. Enjoy.

12:17 - Look at this coming.

12:18 - This is amazing. Thank you.

12:20 - All kinds of fun stuff, right?

12:22 - Wow. Yeah. Well,

12:24 - yeah.

12:24 - Where to start?

12:25 - I mean, so these charcuterie commodities, everybody knows this

12:31 - culinary connection is one of the great additions to

12:36 - to the farm show of the year.

12:37 - And look at this.

12:39 - So tell us what you're doing.

12:41 - What we can see this week and what's on the table. Thank you.

12:43 - So this is the culinary connection stage.

12:46 - And we're going to be running programs all week every day from ten or 11 a.m.,

12:50 - starting with either the Pennsylvania State Beekeepers Association

12:53 - or the Maple Producers all the way through 6 p.m.

12:57 - with lots of local chefs, statewide chefs from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

13:02 - We're going to be featuring as much Pennsylvania product as we possibly can,

13:05 - starting with potatoes, of course, and mushrooms.

13:07 - We've got consumer products, seltzer products, lots of local small creameries

13:12 - for the cheeses and the cheese guild who's also here over here with some samples.

13:16 - Lots of wines are all going to be paired

13:19 - with just about every dish which you can find in.

13:22 - Of course, the official cookbook, which will be available

13:26 - with the samples, will be giving out after every demo.

13:29 - Lots of great stuff all day long.

13:31 - Chris Scott, who's a Top Chef finalist, will be here.

13:35 - We've got some local guys like Ben Beaver from Evergreen Brewing Company.

13:38 - He's going to be competing the Thermidor Chefs Challenges the first day at 1 p.m.,

13:43 - and that's our first big competition,

13:44 - which is always fun, featuring lots of local products and

13:48 - a basket of goodies that they have no idea

13:50 - what it's going to be, which of course be fun.

13:54 - So yeah, lots of great stuff.

13:56 - Yeah.

13:58 - Cheesemakers.

13:58 - Yeah.

13:59 - So, hi, I'm Sue Miller from Bertrand Hills Farm and the Pennsylvania Cheese Guild.

14:04 - Kendra Nissley is here with me from Jubilee Heritage Creamery, right

14:07 - outside of Harrisburg.

14:09 - We're here representing so many of the amazing, beautiful cheeses

14:12 - coming from Pennsylvania dairy farms.

14:15 - I mean, one thing we need to know about Pennsylvania is that

14:18 - we're like the breadbasket of the East Coast,

14:21 - and we're here to bring and showcase all of these gorgeous cheeses

14:25 - that are made from the most versatile raw ingredient, which is milk.

14:29 - You think about the flavors

14:30 - and the textures and all these great eating experiences,

14:34 - and you can see how beautifully they pair with other Pennsylvania products.

14:38 - We're so happy to share that today.

14:45 - Potatoes, make the meal. Secretary ready? There you go.

14:48 - Potatoes. I'm Nathan Tallman with Pennsylvania. Cooperative.

14:50 - Potato growers

14:52 - can't have a meal, Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner without potatoes.

14:55 - So we're looking forward

14:56 - to feeding everybody our potatoes all week in the food court

15:00 - and it's my favorite week of the year when potatoes are a celebrity.

15:03 - Thank you.

15:06 - Yeah. So one of the,

15:08 - you know,

15:08 - the most identifiable sort of aspects of Pennsylvania agriculture is food.

15:13 - Right. And we celebrate that this week.

15:15 - And you can see from the Victory Board here and the presentation, this is just

15:21 - a small sampling of what's going to happen here over the next eight days.

15:25 - Right.

15:25 - This stage to to my left will be full of your Pennsylvania

15:30 - commodities and products and the entrepreneurial spirit,

15:34 - great chefs and folks who want to present

15:37 - their style.

15:39 - Right.

15:40 - But the product is going to be

15:41 - the base of that of that stage for the next eight days.

15:45 - So you can see the diversity here from processed product to our snack foods

15:50 - and preferred just to point out the preferred is our signature

15:56 - brand for Pennsylvania agriculture.

15:58 - Right.

15:58 - It's the check mark.

15:59 - It's a keystone with a checkmark.

16:02 - Look for that you can enjoy.

16:04 - Obviously this product during the week of farm show,

16:07 - but we really need you to recognize it all year long, right?

16:11 - Look for that in the grocery stores and your farm markets.

16:14 - We have worked hard to to build that brand.

16:18 - We're celebrating this year at Farm Show, the 20th anniversary of paperwork.

16:23 - Right.

16:23 - So when you go to the market, that is your signal

16:27 - that that is a Pennsylvania product, right.

16:30 - Produced here, processed here from Pennsylvania farms and our

16:33 - and our community.

16:34 - So you have an opportunity to support agriculture throughout the year.

16:38 - So important you do that because at the end of the day,

16:42 - where the food comes from, matters.

16:45 - Right, it makes a difference.

16:47 - I talked to the intro about the number of young farmers

16:50 - and direct markets and organic production and dairy at the end of the day,

16:55 - we need the consumers to say, where did this come from?

16:59 - Right. And did it come from Pennsylvania?

17:02 - Can I buy it from Pennsylvania?

17:04 - Because when you do that, when we do that,

17:08 - both agriculture wins and consumers win.

17:12 - But we need them to think about where they're buying

17:14 - and how they're buying, because at the end of the day, it matters.

17:18 - Right.

17:18 - And I think all of us

17:19 - in a post-pandemic world understand that food system is a fragile system.

17:24 - It needs to be protected and enhanced.

17:28 - One way to do

17:29 - that is by what we do in the Department of Supporting Agriculture generally.

17:33 - But the biggest part is from consumers recognizing that they can actually,

17:37 - with their dollar, make a difference and invest in local community

17:41 - by buying Pennsylvania product.

17:43 - All right.

17:44 - So we need you. We love you.

17:46 - We love this product.

17:47 - And thank you for presenting this.

17:50 - We look forward to everything it's going to happen in the States. All right.

17:52 - Thank you.

17:52 - Perfect.

17:53 - Okay, let's go look at Pennsylvania hardwoods.

17:56 - So we

17:58 - are pens.

17:59 - Words, right?

18:01 - Pennsylvania and 16 roughly million

18:04 - acres of our state is dedicated to hardwoods.

18:08 - And we're so proud to have a hardwood development council.

18:11 - And John Geier, who leads that on our behalf.

18:13 - But every time that I travel,

18:16 - I marvel right at the diversity of the species, diversity of the industry

18:21 - to significance of this part of Pennsylvania agriculture.

18:26 - It is absolutely stunning,

18:28 - both in terms of its capacity.

18:31 - The creativity, the reach of our hardwoods

18:35 - around the world is one of our major trade.

18:39 - In fact, it's the number one product from Pennsylvania,

18:43 - that agricultural commodity that is that is export.

18:46 - We often think of other things, but it's actually our hardwoods.

18:50 - So John sort of tell the story, but this is part of our connecting communities

18:55 - and most of our citizens who live close

18:59 - to those forest lands right, just by way of the size and scale.

19:02 - So tell us more.

19:04 - Thank you, Secretary.

19:04 - Yeah, so the forest products industry is one of Pennsylvania's

19:08 - number one agricultural industries.

19:09 - And in fact, it touches every county in the state.

19:12 - All 67 counties have some sort of connection to the forest products

19:16 - industry, whether it's a logging company or a cabinet manufacturer.

19:20 - Here in Pennsylvania, we are truly Penns Woods.

19:23 - About 60% of our four or 6% of our state is covered in forest land.

19:28 - And our exhibit this year is showcasing our top ten commercial species.

19:32 - Pennsylvania leads the nation in not only hardwood volume growth

19:36 - that we have in our forest,

19:37 - but production of hardwood, lumber and export of lumber.

19:40 - And the cool part is each year we are gaining more and more forest

19:44 - volume.

19:45 - Wood is one of the greenest products that we have because trees absorb carbon

19:48 - and when we turn them into long lived wood products,

19:50 - that carbon stays locked up in that material.

19:53 - So whether it's flooring, cabinets, furniture,

19:56 - you name it, that's storing carbon away in your home.

19:59 - So the more wood we can use, the healthier the environment

20:02 - and the healthier our world.

20:04 - Sustainable forest management improves overall forest health.

20:07 - So in the exhibit, you'll be able to see black cherry, hard

20:10 - maple, soft maple, hickory, black walnut, the various oaks.

20:14 - These are all top species that grow in Pennsylvania's forests.

20:17 - And you can see the different products that are made from each of those species.

20:21 - So our exhibit this year is all about educating folks

20:23 - on the benefits of our forest, managing our forest,

20:26 - and why using what is so good this is the future park behind us.

20:30 - We also have the beloved Pennsylvania Wood Mobile that travels

20:33 - all across the state, going to schools, fairs and festivals, educating students

20:37 - on the benefits of our forest and sustainable forest management.

20:41 - And then scattered throughout the exhibit, we have tons of beautiful wood products,

20:45 - so I encourage you to visit the Hardwoods exhibit at Farm Show this year

20:48 - and learn about Pennsylvania's number one agricultural industry.

20:51 - So we have

20:53 - a key part of

20:55 - Pennsylvania agriculture, sort of our agritourism.

20:58 - Right. And you're a big part of that.

21:01 - We've got our our wine trails and ice cream trails and farm markets.

21:04 - And I think there are over 700 different agro

21:08 - tainment, agritourism venues in Pennsylvania.

21:12 - Certainly our our you know,

21:17 - the industry is rich with that and we're really proud of it.

21:19 - And quite frankly, it is a key part of both

21:22 - drawing public into to understand, educate about.

21:26 - But it's also a great supplement to a lot of the

21:30 - the incomes of these farm families right there farming.

21:34 - And they're actively engaged in production.

21:35 - At the same time, they are offering to the public,

21:41 - you know, a pick your own operation, some type of

21:46 - animal human interface.

21:48 - Right.

21:48 - So tell us what you do here and what you do this week.

21:51 - Hi, I'm Lauren Steinmetz and my husband and I own Steinmetz family farm.

21:55 - And this is our second year

21:56 - that we're here at the Farm Show offering baby goat snuggles.

22:00 - We're super excited to be back.

22:02 - We were received really well last year.

22:04 - This year we have a new location, so we were in the main hall here

22:08 - all the way at the end.

22:10 - We have a larger stand.

22:12 - It's about double the size of last year because last year we had people

22:15 - waiting an hour to get in and snuggle all our babies.

22:18 - So it's double the size and we're going to have double the baby goats.

22:21 - So around 80 baby goats to snuggle that range at ages from about 2 to 6 months.

22:27 - We're super excited to be back.

22:29 - And yeah, we just welcome everyone to come snuggle our babies.

22:33 - They love you. They're super friendly.

22:34 - They might nibble on your hair a little bit.

22:36 - Oh, something else we have new this year is we have Goat Mountain.

22:39 - So we've created this really tall structure back there with all kinds of

22:44 - wire, wooden

22:45 - spools and ramps for the goats to run and jump on and play.

22:49 - So that's another big draw for our stand.

22:51 - This year.

22:53 - That was a big hit last year. Right?

22:55 - I stood in that line.

22:57 - So a great event, but it's a nice addition.

23:00 - I think it's a nice sort of way to remind folks, you know, who don't have

23:04 - that privilege of having animals, just the value.

23:09 - Right, right.

23:10 - Of them, the companionship and certainly

23:13 - the opportunity to interface with the farm animals.

23:16 - So thank you.

23:17 - Okay. Absolutely. Look forward to it. Thank you.

23:19 - Thank you.

23:20 - Good. Let's go take a look at apples.

23:22 - So anybody who is here at the 2023

23:27 - farm show solve the

23:30 - the Apple display

23:32 - and particularly if you had any history

23:35 - with this display, you know that it was a significant change.

23:39 - It was a beautiful addition.

23:40 - And this, of course, is a major thoroughfare

23:45 - through the complex and to be greeted by

23:48 - the apple industry and Pennsylvania fruit growers.

23:51 - You've got two growers here today, Corey McAuliffe

23:54 - and Lee

23:58 - with Holly Ball.

23:59 - Brother, I'll let you guys sort of introduce yourself

24:00 - and tell them the story, but they're going to unveil this year's

24:05 - Apple Mosaic, right.

24:08 - Have you termed how do you term this?

24:11 - Is it a we've been calling it a mural. A mural.

24:13 - Okay, let's okay, we'll do that.

24:16 - Tell the story of apples and fruit industry and then we'll do the unveiling.

24:21 - Thank you.

24:22 - All right. Well, good morning.

24:22 - Welcome, everyone.

24:23 - We're honored to be a part of your morning.

24:26 - This morning, Cory and I are here representing the Pennsylvania apple

24:29 - industry.

24:30 - We are apple growers in Pennsylvania.

24:32 - I have a farm in Adams County called Halabi Brothers Corey.

24:35 - And we're in Lancaster County, Cherry Hill Orchards.

24:39 - But we we while we are here as a part of our own farms, we are here

24:42 - for a bigger picture, and that is to just represent apples in Pennsylvania.

24:45 - Overall,

24:46 - I served on the Pennsylvania Apple Board in the state of Pennsylvania as well.

24:49 - And we are here to promote and support the apple industry

24:53 - through a research and education and just teaching people about apples

24:58 - and what is changing in the apple industry

25:00 - and why everyone needs to always pick up an apple

25:03 - when they go to the grocery store and eat it,

25:04 - whether you're in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia or anywhere in between.

25:08 - When we are here at the Farm Show, we know that agriculture, of course,

25:11 - is the main focus.

25:12 - While you're here and while potatoes have their place and milkshakes

25:16 - have their place and the butter sculpture has its place,

25:18 - we have a place here to representing apples, and we are honored

25:22 - and excited to unveil our mosaic with you here this morning.

25:26 - Everything we do here

25:27 - is completely volunteer based by apple growers in Pennsylvania.

25:30 - We are selling things both in the food court

25:32 - and here in this room where we are now all week long.

25:35 - Apple cider donuts, apple dumplings, apple cider, apple

25:38 - slushies, fresh apples, of course, and a lot of other things as well.

25:42 - All of that money that we raised through those sales this week

25:45 - go back to support research and the industry itself.

25:48 - So we are here just earning money for our industry to support

25:52 - what we do, what we love,

25:53 - what we're passionate about, so we can continue on for many more years.

25:56 - Feeding America Apples. One of the

26:01 - opportunities we have at the

26:02 - Farm Show is to talk about the people, as I mentioned.

26:05 - But there's a lot of folks who make the industry work who aren't here right now.

26:09 - Think about the workers.

26:11 - Right?

26:11 - And there's this beautiful picture inside the hall

26:13 - above a farm market in Adams County.

26:15 - I have the privilege of living there.

26:17 - And every time I go in, I look at it because it is family, right?

26:20 - It is folks who are the workers of the Hallowell

26:24 - brothers who who, you know, come in and labor.

26:27 - Incredibly skilled people. Right.

26:29 - Who make this happen. Right.

26:31 - And just a note to everybody as we think about the industry, the jobs.

26:36 - Yes, it's about the farmer and the producer.

26:38 - But there are many, many others who are key to the researchers, right

26:42 - to the distribution and the processors or the farm workers.

26:45 - And we honor that in this week of farm show.

26:49 - And it's another way that is connecting our community.

26:52 - So thank you for what you do. Okay.

26:54 - Thank you.

26:55 - All right, everyone ready?

26:57 - We're going to count down

26:58 - and reveal it on one counting down from five, if you'd like to join in.

27:02 - Ready?

27:03 - Five, four, three,

27:06 - two, one.

27:14 - There it is.

27:19 - You can see it.

27:20 - Yeah.

27:20 - So we've got the 2024 farm show.

27:24 - Of course.

27:24 - What makes this mural, this music mosaic especially special

27:29 - is that the picture becomes even clearer when photographed.

27:32 - So it's a perfect selfie station.

27:34 - While you can see exactly what's there with their naked eye,

27:37 - it just gets clear through through the lens of your camera.

27:40 - Right.

27:42 - Well, welcome to the Farm Show Beauty Parlor.

27:45 - And if you've ever wondered,

27:47 - like, how does that animal get groomed?

27:50 - Right.

27:51 - Where does that start?

27:52 - They don't show up in this form, I'm sure, right.

27:55 - It takes a lot of work and a lot of care.

27:58 - Justin and Caleb, we're going to

28:01 - talk about that a little bit here today.

28:03 - So we'll turn it over to you.

28:06 - My name is Justin Rosenberger.

28:08 - I'm originally from Quakertown, Pennsylvania, and I spent about

28:12 - five years of my

28:15 - and so coming to the farm show, it's always been a fun experience.

28:17 - And this year I got the opportunity to join the Junior Farm Show Committee

28:20 - and help out around here, and I'm really excited.

28:23 - My name's Caleb Miller and I was raised in cattle and Lancaster

28:27 - County Forage for the past

28:30 - about seven years now.

28:32 - So today we're going to demonstrate how we normally would fit a heifer.

28:35 - And this is Peter Huffines, Simmental heifer.

28:39 - So going right into it, I would say the first thing

28:43 - is starting at home in the barn, you want to get

28:47 - the best, longest hair.

28:48 - So all year the exhibitors work on getting the most

28:51 - long, thick hair and

28:54 - really that's the best the best base because with you don't start

28:58 - with a lot of dark hair, it's harder to fit right, right over here.

29:03 - We have some supplies.

29:04 - We'll show you

29:07 - before they bring them to the fair.

29:10 - This half forgot it's next.

29:12 - Neck slipped out.

29:13 - So it's hair isn't

29:13 - quite as long on its neck right now because they use these

29:17 - fitting clippers that trim down the hair to a shorter length.

29:20 - And that helps because

29:22 - when a heifer like this, you want to have a kind of like a extended neck.

29:27 - You don't want the neck to be kind of stuck in the body.

29:30 - So trimming it down like that helps to bring it out a little further

29:35 - on. So day after they watched it, like this morning,

29:38 - they have it all washed up like this.

29:40 - They would come over to their shoebox and grab an

29:45 - old piece of which they it's basically Hairspray

29:49 - Clippers just air

29:50 - and the hairspray is used on the legs mostly.

29:55 - Right now the hair is kind of lying flat.

29:56 - So when you're fitting a steer or heifer and

30:01 - the hairspray will help hold the hair

30:03 - more fluffed out,

30:06 - that kind of gives a better effect for the judge because when he's judging

30:09 - him, they're looking for

30:12 - big, thick bones and strong muscles.

30:14 - So the end goal is to have them be as muscular

30:19 - and strong looking as possible

30:23 - after spraying on the hairspray.

30:25 - It takes more skill with the Clippers know.

30:27 - Yeah.

30:30 - They'll put on a fine clipping blade and trim the legs that way.

30:36 - Then the leg has a smooth look and flow straight into the body.

30:42 - Other trimming happens and on the front end by the brisket

30:46 - they will trim down that hair as well.

30:48 - So then it is again a smooth neck the whole way down

30:52 - and leading into the front shoulders

30:56 - after the show.

30:57 - The most important part is washing out all of the old hairspray with

31:03 - some sort of breakdown that

31:06 - this just gets applied to where you put in the hairspray.

31:09 - And it's easier to wash everything out.

31:13 - And the last thing we forgot to mention is shine.

31:16 - So a little shine is added all over the body because that's

31:19 - the judge is judging your steer.

31:21 - You want it to be as attractive

31:23 - as possible and adding a little shine really draws your attention to the animal.

31:27 - So this will be sprayed all over the heifer and

31:32 - helps to make everything more

31:33 - appealing right?

31:38 - So see how much time it can take to prep.

31:42 - Well, when I have usually my brother

31:44 - and my uncle help and it usually takes 30 minutes with three people helping.

31:48 - So yeah.

31:49 - So doing it yourself.

31:50 - Give me at least an hour, you know.

31:53 - But that's, that's just the prep that's not okay to trim a trim and.

31:57 - Well the yeah that's kind of both.

32:00 - So you prep first with the spray and then the trim is comes afterwards

32:03 - like right before to get all the final hairs trimmed down.

32:08 - But that's basically what we'll be judging right at.

32:11 - The fitting contest will be trying to see how well the fitters

32:15 - trimmed all the hair and that there's not like any skippers on the back

32:21 - because there's a lot of hair

32:22 - so it can be easy to miss certain spots.

32:26 - Thank you mentioned at the front side

32:29 - but just the importance of the junior committee, right?

32:32 - So we have a farm show commission in the

32:35 - as part of our farm show it having junior members who are you

32:40 - know, folks who have worked here have worked through the

32:44 - you know, whether it's livestock or the family living or somewhere.

32:47 - And that is really an important part of both mentoring

32:51 - and having folks who are interested in in the future of AG, who are spokespersons

32:56 - and also leaders of the farm Show in the Farm Show Commission.

33:00 - So thank you, Justin. Caleb thank you.

33:03 - Nice job. Thank you.

33:04 - Welcome to the conservation pod, as we call it.

33:08 - It's a opportunity for us to sort of bring a lot of the discussions

33:13 - we have about land and preservation and water quality

33:17 - and cover crops and the environment and sustainability.

33:21 - All of that together in one display.

33:23 - And I point to this as one of the great additions

33:27 - where we get a chance to both, you know, demonstrate the crop in some cases.

33:32 - What is it that's growing?

33:34 - How is it growing?

33:36 - What is the equipment that used to place that particular

33:40 - crop on the field or to get the desired results?

33:44 - And it's a wonderful sort of teaching

33:48 - addition to to the Farm Show, and I'm really proud of it.

33:51 - I'm pleased

33:52 - that we've had this partnership that spans from our State Conservation Commission,

33:57 - which Doug Wolfgang leads to our No till alliance with J.

34:02 - House to Penn State University and many, many other partners and everybody who's

34:07 - in the industry of agriculture understands the importance of conservation.

34:12 - At the end of the day, what happens to that soil,

34:15 - the productivity of that soil that manage with that soil speaks volumes

34:19 - for the economics of our farms,

34:23 - but also the environment in Pennsylvania.

34:26 - So the stewardship of that

34:28 - and the care of that is really, really important to Pennsylvania.

34:32 - And we have two overarching goals.

34:34 - One is to make sure that we protect the environment.

34:37 - The other is to do that with viable farms.

34:40 - Right?

34:40 - And you can't get one without the other.

34:43 - So that connectedness to our community is important.

34:46 - The connection of our farms to the land is important.

34:50 - So having that story here at the farm shows is really an important part.

34:54 - So I'll turn to Doug.

34:55 - A.J., to talk about the display.

34:58 - Yeah. Thank you, Secretary.

34:59 - Hey, good morning, everyone. It's so good to see you here.

35:02 - So exciting to be in the conservation pod.

35:04 - Doug Wolfgang, the director of the State Conservation Commission.

35:08 - The Commission operates under joint authority

35:11 - of the Departments of Agriculture and Environmental Protection,

35:14 - and we strive to find that balance between the two.

35:16 - Agriculture in the environment and the interface between the two

35:20 - are some of the biggest issues of our time, like climate change, water

35:24 - quality, land use, sustainability, food security.

35:28 - Farmers, by large want to do the right thing

35:31 - and install conservation practices, and they have rose to the occasion

35:35 - and done that since the Dust Bowl era in Pennsylvania.

35:39 - And over the past decades, they've really made big strides

35:42 - in conservation and will continue to do so.

35:45 - We have unprecedented funding opportunities right now

35:49 - at the state level that enable them to do that.

35:51 - But the Commission provides the financial and technical assistance for farmers

35:55 - to install practices on their farms that improve water quality soil health

36:00 - and make the farms more viable and sustainable for future generations.

36:03 - It's extremely rewarding work.

36:05 - We accomplish that with a whole lot of partnerships.

36:09 - 66 county conservation districts across the state,

36:12 - the grass roots level organizations who administer the programs

36:16 - locally and earn the trust and respect to the farming community.

36:20 - Groups like Soil Health Coalition No.

36:23 - Two Alliance, Stroud, Water Research, Chesapeake Bay Commission.

36:28 - The list goes on.

36:30 - The partnerships we have in conservation really helps us accomplish our goals.

36:34 - But in the Commission, you know, these practices that we're working to install,

36:38 - many of them are expensive and cost prohibitive for a farmer to install,

36:41 - and the funding gives them an opportune 80 to invest in their farm and wind farm.

36:46 - Succeed.

36:47 - We all prosper, as you know, given what farms contribute to our state's economy

36:52 - and given the fact that these practices help improve the environment as well.

36:57 - So structural practices like manure storage

37:00 - using concrete barn yards that contain the nutrients

37:02 - and allow the farmer to be able to spread them

37:04 - according to a new tree management plan so that the crops uptake those nutrients

37:09 - in the way that is most optimal for the plant growth and for soil health.

37:13 - But also green practices, as we call them, like stream bank fencing,

37:17 - riparian buffers, grassed waterways, rotational grazing systems,

37:22 - all practices that again improve water quality, soil health

37:26 - benefit, the farm benefit,

37:27 - the farmer benefit, the communities where these farms are located.

37:31 - A strong connection between farmers and their local communities.

37:34 - Ultimately, these practices improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.

37:38 - You've heard a lot about that over the years

37:40 - and how agriculture is one of the you know, that there's a big weight

37:44 - on the back of agriculture to improve water quality in the bay,

37:48 - but that happens in farmers backyards and in their local waterways.

37:51 - And so that really is

37:53 - is helping to make those improvements when they install these practices.

37:56 - So welcome to the conservation pod.

37:59 - We're extremely excited. We'll be here all week.

38:01 - We have Leopold Conservation Award which recognizes

38:05 - a farm, one farm every year

38:07 - that is really engaged in conservation and does an exceptional job.

38:12 - There are so many who would be eligible for that award, but one is given

38:15 - every year. We do that on Monday.

38:17 - We'll be here throughout the week,

38:19 - you know, and then obviously later in the week,

38:21 - the century and bicentennial Farm presentation,

38:23 - which is always a highlight of farm show and strong connection between

38:27 - multi-generational farms and conservation in that stewardship ethic.

38:31 - But this just a banner behind me here really tells a story,

38:34 - if you look at some of those statistics won't go through them.

38:36 - But just to highlight several, I mentioned the AG Conservation Assistance

38:40 - Program, unprecedented funding opportunity of $154 million

38:45 - for these best management practices that they spoke of provided

38:49 - for under the last budget cycle.

38:51 - 2223 Budget.

38:53 - But we're off to a really good start with getting those funds spent

38:57 - using federal ARPA funds, which are General Assembly approved

39:00 - use of those funds for the Clean Streams Fund which provided funding for ACRE.

39:04 - And then just also always want to highlight

39:06 - the fact that Pennsylvania leads the nation in farmland preservation

39:10 - with over six 6300 farms in 630,000 acres protected through permanent easement.

39:16 - And when you think of where we stand right here in central Pennsylvania,

39:19 - some of the most fertile nine irrigated soil found anywhere, the nation

39:22 - or the world, within a day's drive of over half of the nation's population.

39:27 - It's just so critical that we continue to preserve those farms and

39:31 - and also make ensure that those farms have practices that are sustainable.

39:34 - So thank you.

39:35 - With that, turn it over to Secretary James. Yeah.

39:38 - No, just just to be always appreciate Doug's perspective on he was our director

39:42 - and from the preservation for 25 years and just stepped into the state

39:45 - conservation commission delete it and you can

39:48 - you can see and hear and feel the passion in that equally so is Jay Howes, who's

39:54 - worked with us over

39:54 - the years, leads the No till alliance with an amazing group of farmers

39:58 - in Pennsylvania who do a lot of peer to peer teaching and learning.

40:02 - And he's been sort of our architect

40:06 - in making this whole conservation pie come to life

40:10 - and just want to have Jay talk about sort of what you're seeing,

40:13 - what's focused here and what you'll take away this year.

40:16 - JAY Well, yeah, a couple of things.

40:18 - Piggybacking on what Doug and Russell have said.

40:20 - I coordinate this whole area here on behalf of the Farm Show

40:24 - and the Department of Agriculture

40:26 - with the Partner Conservation Commission this year.

40:29 - But what we attempt to do on the far side is a field

40:34 - with best management practices from harvest

40:38 - berry fodder and covering the ground immediately planning a cover crop

40:42 - with a no tilt drill so you're not disturbing the soil.

40:44 - And then in the spring, terminating the cover and planting corn and soybeans

40:49 - or whatever crop you're planning into that soil has been covered all winter, and

40:55 - that really encapsulates

40:57 - a lot of the basic soil health principles.

41:02 - Two years ago, we got a lot of questions about how to apply

41:05 - those principles to the home garden situation.

41:09 - So that's when we started doing these

41:11 - raised beds, which obviously I have some planning to do yet,

41:15 - but they start with a cover crop planted in the fall, terminated

41:21 - and then in the spring planting through that same cover,

41:24 - maintaining the soil structure the whole time, which is critical

41:30 - for you go that direction a little bit.

41:32 - But the thing I think

41:34 - strikes me the most about the statistics is the first two lines,

41:37 - it was 7640

41:40 - farms have approved erosion sedimentation plants

41:44 - in Pennsylvania requirements, which is a phenomenal number.

41:48 - And then there management plans and management plans.

41:52 - The farmers really are doing their part for the environment and the communities.

41:55 - And Russell, that ties in coincidentally with your theme for the Farm Show

41:59 - Connecting Communities.

42:01 - The thing that we don't have set up yet because it just

42:04 - was delivered about an hour ago,

42:07 - is over in that box where the gravel is will be a rainfall simulator.

42:11 - And many of you may have seen that before.

42:14 - What it does is it

42:16 - there's five pads of different soil management profiles

42:21 - and there's jars and they a little bit of an angle, jars

42:24 - in the back capture the rain that infiltrate eights

42:28 - and then jars in the front, capture the runoff that you don't want.

42:33 - So it's a really visual demonstration

42:36 - of why these practices actually work, because we don't want that runoff

42:40 - going down into the stream or ultimately the Chesapeake.

42:43 - And we do want the good infiltration which a healthy soil is like a sponge.

42:47 - It just soaks it up and lets it filter through.

42:50 - So I encourage you to step back if you have a chance.

42:52 - And we are

42:54 - we run it off and on during the show all week and sometimes because we're bored

42:58 - and sometimes because somebody wants to say it.

43:00 - And, you know, it's it's really a neat device.

43:04 - I encourage you to come back and check on it

43:06 - like you're also Doug and Jay. Thank you.

43:08 - You know, we spend a lot of time in the

43:10 - in the department, but really, I think as a as a public

43:14 - debating sort of land use.

43:17 - Right.

43:17 - And anybody who lives in this central region knows that, you know,

43:21 - the Chesapeake Bay looms large.

43:23 - Concerns about water quality, what's happening to the Bay,

43:26 - but it's also about what's what's happening in the Susquehanna.

43:29 - It's what's happening in our local streams and tributaries.

43:33 - And that has really been an important part of the work of the state over

43:37 - over the years to make sure that we get the policies that are size neutral.

43:41 - Right.

43:41 - It could be the home gardener doing the right thing.

43:44 - We're the large dairy in Lancaster County is part of that.

43:48 - Making sure we have the appropriate funding

43:50 - and support is part of that story.

43:54 - We have been in this nutrient management discussion

43:57 - for 40 years, 1993.

44:00 - So when you hear some of the discussions, particularly in surrounding states

44:06 - and even some of the national policy debates,

44:08 - just know that we've got a 40 year head start

44:10 - right in making sure

44:11 - that we're getting the equipment design, the landscape practices, the adoption

44:15 - of that,

44:17 - and the very, very first

44:19 - day to have a comprehensive nutrient management law in America.

44:22 - So that is what's here.

44:24 - You see in this display the benefits of that 40 years of work

44:29 - and science and research and the funding that we've received

44:32 - from the legislature and and USDA partners is so many others.

44:38 - It's a proud story.

44:39 - And we hope you sort of see that here and engage

44:42 - with the partners here today

44:45 - and through the week about the little things

44:48 - that make a difference in why the landscapes of Pennsylvania

44:53 - has been transformed as a result of good management practices,

44:57 - concerns about the environment, the science that we've adopted

45:01 - to make sure that we can continue to connect those communities

45:05 - and that we honor, continued honor.

45:06 - We're a heavy livestock state.

45:08 - We want things to grow in that land and then feed both the crops

45:13 - and the livestock that is possible out of our conservation work.

45:16 - So thank you both.

45:18 - We'll see it through the week. Okay. Thank you.

45:20 - All right.

45:21 - Okay.

45:22 - We're going to cap it off in the food.

45:24 - So good morning, everyone, again.

45:26 - So we hope you all enjoyed the tour this morning to see

45:30 - just a little bit of what you can expect of the 108th Pennsylvania farm Show.

45:34 - Now, today,

45:35 - we're going to conclude the tour in the very famous farm show food court.

45:39 - I'm honored to have members of the food court team here with me today.

45:43 - I just want to tell you a little bit about the importance of what

45:47 - this food court does in a year.

45:49 - I'm happy that, you know, the Pennsylvania commodity groups

45:53 - and organizations do everything in here from, you know, potatoes

45:59 - to beef to dairy to mushrooms, apple

46:04 - vegetables, and even including the FFA pizza.

46:08 - So they they grow Pennsylvania produce.

46:11 - We are able to sell it here at the farm.

46:13 - So each year we know many of you have your favorites from many,

46:17 - many years ago and we look forward to trying them this year.

46:21 - But then also want to make sure that you're aware we have some new items

46:23 - this year.

46:24 - We do have the Pennsylvania Potato Cooperative

46:27 - Potato growers actually is selling potato cakes.

46:30 - I can tell you firsthand, I've already sampled them and they're delicious.

46:33 - So thank you very much.

46:35 - We understand that there's potatoes on almost every plate.

46:37 - So you definitely want to get your fill potatoes here at Berkshire this year.

46:41 - Dairy Man.

46:41 - So we know you all love the milkshakes.

46:43 - And this year, Dave is here with the salted caramel milkshake, which

46:48 - I've yet to try, but it's on my list, so I'll do that later today.

46:52 - We also have my father's son here from the Pennsylvania Livestock

46:55 - Association, and they're bringing back their lolly chops this year.

46:58 - And all time favorites.

46:59 - Been here for many years and that's actually coming back this year.

47:02 - Gail is to the left of the secretary and Gail is with the Pennsylvania Mushroom

47:06 - Growers, and I'm really excited to try her stuffed portabella mushroom this year.

47:11 - So really, again, thanks everybody for being here today.

47:14 - I'm going to turn it over to secretary for just a quick word

47:17 - and then we'll let you all to do some tasting.

47:20 - All right.

47:20 - Thank you, Sharon.

47:21 - So This is our theme, right?

47:24 - Connected to communities right here.

47:26 - It all comes together.

47:27 - We've had a chance this morning to see some of the educational work

47:31 - I the forest, the conservation in the folks who are who are educating

47:35 - and entertaining and exhibiting and making wonderful products across Pennsylvania

47:40 - and in this food court, you get a chance to sort of taste that.

47:44 - Right. You get you get the full flavor

47:46 - of Pennsylvania agriculture in this food court.

47:48 - So we're excited about the hundred and eight that's been a farm show.

47:51 - We're excited about the theme.

47:53 - We think this opportunity we have to talk about how Pennsylvania

47:58 - agriculture is connected to our communities and vice versa

48:02 - is an important part of the story.

48:04 - Right.

48:04 - These things that you see here,

48:06 - they're not going to stay here just because you and I like them.

48:10 - They'll stay here if somebody sees opportunity in it.

48:13 - Right.

48:14 - And that's a really important part of the story of our past

48:18 - and our future and providing these opportunities for Pennsylvania

48:22 - farmers and and food processors to to do their job.

48:27 - But we need the consumer to help us do that job.

48:30 - Right.

48:30 - We need folks to buy Pennsylvania, support Pennsylvania agriculture, pay preferred.

48:35 - And the commodities that we produce here in Pennsylvania is critical to that.

48:40 - So note of thanks to to each of our

48:44 - commodity

48:44 - representatives, if you will, part of the untold stories.

48:48 - A lot of resources raised during this week.

48:52 - And I look at this week of farm show a bit like yeast.

48:56 - Right it helps raise money.

48:58 - It raises awareness of other things so they can do the research

49:01 - they need to stay competitive, to keep doing the marketing, to find

49:06 - whatever problem they're trying to solve, to find a solution to that.

49:10 - So enjoy this farm show, enjoy the food court,

49:13 - and thank you for helping connect our communities.

49:17 - Thank you. Thank you. Okay.

49:20 - The heat, your first time first.

49:23 - Wow. I'm going to look it.

49:28 - All right.

49:28 - I'm going to these.

49:30 - These are your new potato cakes. Yeah. Wow.

49:34 - Wow. This is like a happy

49:36 - meal.