PENNSYLVANIA — The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center was abuzz with excitement on Saturday as the 2024 PA Farm Show officially opened. With the theme “Connecting Our Communities,” the event serves as a celebration of the Keystone State’s thriving agriculture industry, which supports 593,000 jobs and contributes $132.5 billion to the state’s economy annually.
Lt. Governor Austin Davis, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, and other Shapiro Administration cabinet officials were joined by U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson, Senator Judy Schwank, and other state and local officials to inaugurate the event.
“Governor Shapiro and I are 100 percent committed to supporting the Commonwealth’s number one industry – agriculture,” Lt. Gov. Davis said. He highlighted the administration’s allocation of $31 million in the 2023-24 budget to combat hi-path avian influenza and the creation of new Centers for Plant Excellence and Organic Excellence.
Agriculture Secretary Redding stressed the unifying power of the agriculture industry. “In a world wounded by divisions, Agriculture connects us all as Pennsylvanians, as Americans and as human beings in a civil society,” he said.
The ceremony, emceed by PA Farm Show Complex & Expo Center Executive Director Sharon Myers, included a mounted PA State Police color guard and the singing of the National Anthem by 13-year-old Thea Sten of Schuylkill County, winner of the 2024 PA Farm Show Star Spangled Sing-Off.
Congressman Thompson, Chairman of the Agriculture Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, praised the Farm Show for uniting residents and visitors behind Pennsylvania’s number one industry. Sen. Schwank echoed his sentiment, calling the event a celebration of the hardworking folks who comprise Pennsylvania’s robust agriculture sector.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show, the state’s official fair, is the largest indoor agricultural expo in the nation. It features nearly 6,000 animals, over 12,000 competitive events and exhibits, nearly 250 commercial exhibits, and hundreds of educational and entertaining events. The event showcases top competitors from 108 county and local fairs, demonstrating the diversity and quality of Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry.
The 2024 Pennsylvania Farm Show runs from Saturday, January 6 through Saturday, January 13 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg. Admission is free, with parking priced at $15 per vehicle. For more information, including hours and a daily schedule of events, visit farmshow.pa.gov under 2024 Farm Show.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.