Recently, students involved in the agricultural magnet program took a trip to Pennsylvania. This was the 108th year that the farm shows had been held.

     Harrisburg, Pennsylvania hosts the largest singular indoor agricultural exposition in the country. According to the farm show’s website, “the event showcases the quality and breadth of Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry and the people who make it thrive.”  The show ran through January sixth to the thirteenth. 

     The Hawks attended the event on Jan. 8. That Monday, the expo would feature a full day of activities. This included a wide array of things including performances by country artists, scientific presentations, showmanship contests, demonstrations and so much more. 

     Senior Katrina Winkler described it as a “big convention with FFA competitions and presentations, and there’s people showing their animals [for example, cows and sheep], [and] there’s markets and businesses that are selling their products.” Winkler’s favorite part of the trip was the “big plant section where the business was selling cacti and other succulents.” The student bought a “whole bunch of them.”

     The origin of this tradition can be traced back to Pennsylvania’s founder, William Penn. Penn was the one who first organized an agricultural show in the mid-1600s for “farmers to gather and share their knowledge” according to the PA Farm Shows. These gatherings continued to expand and improve to become what it is today.

     Plant Science teacher Steven Stewart explains that “there are a lot of exhibits that show modern farm techniques,…show animals, and lots of really good food.” Stewart jokes that there were many “fried foods like the fried cheese on a stick” which would “change your life.” Finally, the teacher believes that it is “a really neat experience for the students to see different aspects of agriculture.”