[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 13, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H110-H111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         PENNSYLVANIA FARM SHOW

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, if you were in Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania, right now, you could be taking part in the annual event 
that reminds us all of what is wholesome and fine in this country. A 
few hours wandering through the Pennsylvania Farm Show, and nostalgia 
builds. One person remembers the hours it takes to sew the minute 
stitches on a winning quilt. Another recalls the time and dedication 
required to raise a tiny calf into a prize-winning dairy cow. A third 
pictures her mother throwing out recipes until finally one comes 
together that produces the best angel food cake ever. Some 400,000 
people attend, and that is 400,000 memories, from horseshoe pitching 
contests to a ride on the 60-year-old merry-go-round. There is a 
culmination of smells from the hay and the livestock, the sticky bun 
contest, the myriad foods in the food court--including potato 
doughnuts, which happens to be my favorite--and even the odor of diesel 
from the tractor-dancing contests. Yes, that is tractor square 
dancing--two callers and 14 drivers.
  Somehow the fragrances are all tied up with the memories. Now, I'm 
talking about the largest indoor agricultural event in America, with 
10,000 competitive exhibits and 270 commercial vendors.

                              {time}  1630

  The 24-acre site of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo 
Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, houses 11 buildings, including 
three arenas. The show started on January 9 and continues until 
Saturday, January 16.
  To give you just one example of the breadth of this show, there are 
more than 6,000 head of sheep, swine, horses, cattle, goats, poultry, 
and rabbits in competition for the best of the best.
  Young rodeo champions from around the State compete in the high 
school rodeo that includes team roping, saddle and bareback bronco 
riding, bull riding, and the list goes on. Both members of 4-H and 
Future Farmers of America participate in the farm show and all of its 
aspects. There are young people who have learned values and a possible 
vocation from their participation in this huge event.
  Here is an exhibit and competition that was new to me, the Sheep to 
Shawl contest. It features both adult and youth teams that shear sheep 
on site, spin the wool into yarn, and create a beautiful shawl in about 
2 hours. Each team consists of a shearer, three spinners, and a weaver. 
The shawls then sell at an auction with proceeds going directly to the 
team. One sold for more than $3,000.
  This 94-year-old show was begun in 1917, and it was called the 
Pennsylvania Corn, Fruit, Vegetable, Dairy Products, and Wool Show. It 
has grown and expanded and grown again from 5,000 visitors in 1917 to 
400,000 this year. It has come through war conditions that nearly 
cancelled the show in 1918 because the Federal Government seized 
control of the railroads, to Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972, which put 91 
inches of water in the main exhibition building that left an inch of 
mud and half a million dollars in damage.

[[Page H111]]

  This show is an opportunity to share knowledge and experience. For 
example, the beekeeping exhibits have drawn a lot of attention since 
2007 and the widely publicized plight of the honeybee from colony 
collapse disorder. This disorder is characterized by sudden colony 
death, according to the Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension 
Consortium based at Penn State.
  It is the honeybee that is responsible for pollinating 100 fruits, 
vegetables, and nuts that are vital to us. Scientists and researchers 
are getting closer to finding the cause of the colony collapse disorder 
but are not there yet. Sharing awareness is key to finding the cure.
  Agriculture remains Pennsylvania's number one industry with more than 
63,000 farms statewide. Farm products range from dairy production, 
cattle, mushrooms, corn, and various greenhouse crops. Also, timber 
harvesting continues to be a major job source throughout the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, particularly in my district because of 
our unparalleled hardwoods.
  Having come from a family of dairy farmers, I am always happy to meet 
and talk with those who continue to work on the farm and provide our 
Nation's food supply. This annual event is one of the best 
opportunities to do just that because of the diverse mix of farmers, 
State and local government officials, and agriculture associations, all 
of which have great agricultural expertise.
  There are many reasons for celebrating the Pennsylvania Farm Show, 
and I hope I have piqued your interest enough to have you attend this 
year or next and experience it for yourself.

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