[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 4 (Wednesday, January 9, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H291-H292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 103RD PENNSYLVANIA FARM SHOW

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, over the weekend, the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania kicked off one of my favorite events, the 
Pennsylvania Farm Show.
  For more than a century, farmers have gathered each January at the 
Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 102 years ago, the 
very first Pennsylvania Farm Show was held on January 23 through 
January 25, 1917, under the title of the Pennsylvania Corn, Fruit, 
Vegetable, Dairy Products, and Wool Show.
  In 1955, Dr. Milton Eisenhower, Penn State University president at 
the time and the brother of the then-President of the United States, 
Dwight D. Eisenhower, dubbed the Pennsylvania Farm Show ``always the 
greatest show on Earth.''
  Thanks to the dedication of the Pennsylvania farmers and farm 
families, tens of thousands of volunteers, and generations of 
agribusiness owners

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and staff from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the 
Pennsylvania Farm Show continues to be among the greatest shows on 
Earth.
  This weeklong event is the largest indoor agricultural exposition in 
the Nation, showcasing over 6,000 animals, featuring nearly 12,000 
exhibits and more than half a million visitors.
  Each year, I host a listening session at the Farm Show, and we 
covered a range of topics on Saturday during the public forum, from 
raising awareness about agriculture education to helping our dairy 
farmers, and more. We discussed the passage of the 2018 farm bill, 
which will restore certainty for our farm families, provide nutritional 
support and greater opportunity for ultimate food security through 
employment for our neighbors in financial need, renew a pathway to 
prosperity for our dairy producers, and build toward a stronger rural 
economy.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the Pennsylvania Secretary of 
Agriculture, Russell Redding, for participating in the listening 
session, and also my colleagues: Congressman Dwight Evans, Congressman 
Dan Meuser, and Congressman Lloyd Smucker.
  The Pennsylvania Farm Show truly does bring together so many 
different people in the ag community, and it is an event like no other.
  The Farm Show complex houses 24 acres under one roof, spread 
throughout 11 buildings, including three arenas. There is no admission 
fee. It is a great event for the entire family, and there are numerous 
educational shows.
  The Pennsylvania Farm Show provides an atmosphere for everyone to 
walk through, observe, and educate themselves about the different areas 
of agriculture, the Commonwealth's largest industry, which brings 
nearly $6.9 billion annually in agricultural cash receipts. Almost half 
a million jobs are tied to the industry, which positively impacts all 
Pennsylvanians.
  Madam Speaker, 103 years ago, the Pennsylvania Farm Show was a 3-day 
exhibit. Today, the event is a weeklong celebration of how the 
agriculture industry touches our lives every day. Proudly, this event 
draws visitors from across the country to highlight everything our 
State has to offer when it comes to ag. Numerous students participate 
in the event as well from 4-H clubs to FFA organizations.
  The Pennsylvania Farm Show truly showcases our Nation's farmers and 
landowners. I was thrilled to again take part in the best agricultural 
expo in the country.
  Madam Speaker, I want to close with the words from the prologue to 
the 100th anniversary book that is published by the Farm Show 
Foundation, with the Farm Show being dedicated to the farmers who feed 
us, the Penn State extension staff that lead us, and the consumers that 
need us.

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