822-Lancaster Farmii
All-Dairy Antiques And Collectibles Show Sets Exhibitor Record
Dr. Darwin G. Braund
Pasto Agriculture Museum
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) Exhibitors came from
California and Connecticut, from
Vermont and Virginia, and from
Maryland, Minnesota, New Jer
sey, New York, Ohio and, of
course, Pennsylvania.
A total of 49 registered and
two walk-in exhibitors from 10
states set a new record for the
third annual All-Dairy Antiques
and Collectibles Show conducted
Sept. 22-27, in Harrisburg. Thir
ty-two exhibitors of general dairy
items combined with 13 milk bot
tle collectors to provide beauf'
and educational exhibits of di
verse dairy antiques.
This third show was the
“breakout” event envisioned by
the planners. Following two
years of gaining experience, con
tacts, and a positive reputation
for an “up and coming” show,
the record number of exhibitors
provided a large and varied exhi
bition in the Pennsylvania Farm
Show Complex to appreciative
crowds that exceeded attendance
during the first two years.
The Cream Separator and
Dairy Collector Association was
represented by 10 members from
five states. Gene Sander, presi
dent, and his wife, Pam, drove
from Rochester, MN, and exhibi
ted for the second year. Other
members exhibiting were Darwin
Braund, State College; Martin
and Diane Brumbaugh, Curry
ville; Leslie Firth, Mercer; Mike
and Jan Fournier, Swanton, VT;
David Morrow, State College;
Michele and Jeff Reasner, New
burg; Jim and Martha Roberts,
Scio, N.Y.; Clyde Shaver; Mid
dlefield, OH; and Margin and
EUie Stout, Tunkhannock.
One member who didn’t exhib
it deserves mention. Graeme
Reid flew cross country from Ta
coma, Washington to see the
show he had read about in the
Cream ■ Separator and Dairy
Newsletter. Was it just a coin
cidence that he purchased a Reid
No. 4 butter worker?
Among the exhibits were those
of two well known wood carvers
from opposite ends of the coun
try. Glenn and Mary McCune
came all the way from California
for their first experience at the
show. Professor Emeritus Don
Ace from State College, returned
for the third year with his carv
ings of dairy cattle and farm and
wild animals including birds.
The show officially opened at
10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 22 al
though several early birds were
wandering through as exhibitors
finished their final preparations.
Two “charter” exhibitors re
turned for their third year. Jim
and Martha Roberts, Scio, N.Y.,
again showed Martha’s Milk
House. Les Firth, Mercer, had
spent much time seeking DeLav
al items and designing his beauti
ful and extensive display.
Almost every aspect of a by
gone era of dairy farming in the
late 1800 s and early 1900 s were
represented. However, one piece
of early and popular dairy equip
ment was very prominent the
butter churn. Made in all shapes
and sizes from glass, wood, tin,
metal and clay (ceramic), they
were übiquitous in exhibits. A
popular action exhibit was a
Saturda
December 16. 2000
Lancaster parwng
As his parents and four brothers watch, Joshua Miller, 4, provides "boy power” for a
dog treadle that operates a large butter chum. The Chambersburg family visited the
show each year since it began three years ago.
Martha’s Milkhouse, exhibited by Martha Roberts of Scio, N.Y., returned for the
third year at the annual event.
Show manager Darwin Braund, State College, stands beneath the extensive exhibit
of Brown Swiss cow bells.
large wooden barrel chum pow
ered by a dog treadle. It was
from the Paste Agricultural Mu
seum in Penn State’s College of
Agricultural Sciences.
Among dozens of glass churns
were two complete sets of Dazey
Bull’s Eye glass chums and three
of the rare and increasingly valu
able one-quart or No. 10 size.
Ice cream, that favorite of all
dairy products, was represented
by freezers, advertising, scoops,
dippers, containers, and two
large posters giving the history of
ice cream. Hand-crank freezers,
both wood and tin, ranged in size
from a rare one-pint White
Mountain (salesman’s sample) to
a 20-quart White Mountain pow
ered by an electric motor. The
latter from the Penn State
Creamery is still used to show
students how to make “home
made” ice cream.
For the first time DeLaval
items were featured. Several ex
hibitors deserve special mention
for their DeLaval displays. These
include Martin and Diane Brum
baugh, David Dickmyer, Les
Firth, and Mike and Jan Four
nier. The exhibits of 13 milk bot
tle collectors added beauty, vari
ety, and additional interest to the
overall show.
Special exhibits were provided
by Rutter’s Dairy, York, which
covered the early era of home de
livery of milk and other dairy
products. Their original horse
drawn wagon was used in the
19205. During the 1930 s and
’4os, a 1936 Thome gas/electric
truck ran the home delivery
routes to families.
The Sunday Harrisburg Pat
riot News, Oct. 8, 2000, pub
lished a feature story with three
pictures on the show with the
headline, “Dairy memorabilia
gaining popularity as collecti
bles.” The lead paragraph said,
“An increasing number of collec
tors who buy everything from old
cowbells to antique cream sepa
rators are milking their hobby for
all its worth.” Quoted at length
were cream separator and dairy
collector members Les Firth,
Mike Fournier, and Martha Rob
erts.
Responses to a written survey
sent to exhibitors indicated all
were pleased with this third year
show. Almost 90 percent of re
sponders said they would exhibit
next year (Sept. 22-26,2001). Al
most 86 percent said their level
of satisfaction with their sales
were either “good” or “very
good.” Two-thirds of responders
rated the overall show “very
good” and the rest rated it
“good.”
The fourth annual show will
open 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept
22, 2001, and run until Wednes
day evening, Sept. 26. Readers
are encouraged to put these dates
(Sept 22-26, 2001) on their cal
endars in order to plan to attend
either as an exhibitor or visitor.
For more information contact
Darwin Braund, 238 Agricultur
al Administration Building, Uni
versity Park, PA 16802-2600,
phone (814) 863-1383, e-mail
dgbl2@psu.edu; or Lolly Lesher,
PA Farm Show Complex, 2301
North Cameron Street, Harris
burg, PA 17710-9408, phone
(717)787-2905.