On Being a Farm Wife (and other hazard: Joyce Bupp For years, they’ve gone hand in hand. The New Year. And the Penn sylvania Farm Show. Anything new in agriculture, you could generally figure on being able to see, touch, or at least learn about it at the Farm Show. During our high school years, Farm Show was one of those events tempting to “hook out” of classes for, because it ran only Monday through Friday. (No, I never did; it would have been the first and last time if I did and it was found out.) Our kids, as cattle exhibitors, were readily able to receive permission from school for time off to partic ipate. Now, the Farm Show runs over this weekend for those who can’t get off from work or school, but one less weekday. This year brings one of those “temporary inconvenience...permanent im provement” periods of time, with the multi-million renovations and expansion of this Harrisburg landmark. The Farm Show offers more things to see than most of us can possibly catch in one visit. (Espe cially if you go with a spouse who wants to ponder at length the merits of various pieces of equip ment). Sometimes we just part company for awhile and go dif ferent directions to see items of specific interest, especially if he wants to visit at length about equipment while I want to linger over the crafts and homemaking entries. Here’s a random check-list for your Farm Show visit (or to re hash it if you’ve already been there this year); • Number of little kids you counted sitting on tractor seats, wide-eyed, wearing big grins; • Winner of the new rural hol iday ornament contest; • The nut display (no, no, not peop!e...we mean like walnuts, pecans, hickories, etc.); • Educational displays de signed by and in competition among statewide FFA chapters; • Number of adult guys you counted sitting on tractor seats, wide-eyed, wearing big grins; • A bird of prey on display at the nature center area; • Winning garments from the 4-H sewing project entries; • Number of frustrated-look ing moms, wives, and sisters tap ping their feet with impatience at the big and little guys, wide-eyed and wearing big grins, crawling on and off tractor seats; • Entries in the sheep fleece competition, judged for qualities like length and kink of wool strands; • A cooking demonstration featuring Pennsylvania-produced food; • Number of folks spied trying to juggle milk shakes, deep fried mushrooms, apple cider, baked potato, fish sandwiches while try ing to guide kids through the ever-popular food court. Bon Ap petite! • The champion Christmas tree; • Honey and related products, like candy and beeswax candles; • Floral ar rangements (and flowers to take home for a spe cial someone from the horticul ture folks)’ • Those stun ning, giant, draft horses; • Competitive displays of veg etables including things like black radishes, rutabagas and parsnips (yes, Virginia, folks ac tually grow and eat those); • The champion dressed tur key, hoarded from Christmas dinner-use for show competition; • Number of little kids (and big ones) petting squeaky-clean cows, fluffy sheep, snoozing pigs; • A blue-ribbon dozen of eggs; • The butter sculpture; • The Department of Agricul ture’s new Wood Mobile; • Disappointingly, no prized poultry this year, due to an out break of Avian Influenza in the state. (My favorite place to take the kids when they were little and got bored before all the cow ex hibiting chores were finished.) For the Farm Show, this is truly a week for “ringing out the old” in a facility that has been such a part of Pennsylvania’s ag riculture history and heritage. And we can hardly wait to see the “bringing in the new” in an expanded, spruced-up Farm Show site of the 21st century. UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) Visitors to the Pennsylva nia Farm Show are urged to con tribute to the statewide 4-H Can Make A Difference food drive and help feed the hungry. Donat ed cans, boxes and bags of nonpe rishable food will be used to con- struct a 4-H House of Food made out of donated food products. The house symbolizes 4-H’ers hopes that the pantry shelves in every Pennsylvania home will be stocked with food. The display will be located in the Pennsylva nia Department of Agriculture exhibit. This is the first year the 4-H food drive has been initiated with the Farm Show and the Pennsyl vania Department of Agriculture. Food products will be donated to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, which distributes food to 320 nonprofit groups, including soup kitchens, shelters, and food pantries. “Traditionally, food drives Sunny Florida! Transportation from WINTER 2002 FLORIDA LINE RUN Coach departs Lancaster, PA for Sarasota, FL* every Monday, December 31 - March 25 Coach departs Sarasota, FL* for Lancaster, PA every Wednesday, January 2 - March 27 • Additional drop-off and pickup locations available in Florida 800-722-6206 717-733-7710 CP'L /? P 1685 West Main St. HESS (Safe Loam Ephrata, PA i --j—~~—www.elitecoach.com 4-H Accepting Food Donations At The Farm Show Cheese Carving Contest Set For Pennsylvania Farm Show HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Cheese lovers and food enthusiasts will demonstrate their patriotism and creative flair by entering the fourth an nual Cheese Carving Contest to be conducted during the 2002 Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg. Pennsylvania residents par ticipating in the “Simply American: Cheese Carving Contest” will compete for more than $5OO in cash and prizes. Contestants age 15 or over have been required to submit a description of their patriotic cheese carving idea, along with a photo or sketch of the actual creation. Six finalists will participate in a “carve-off” at the Penn sylvania Farm Show on Jan. 6. Finalists will be provided with one five-pound block of Ched dar cheese, one paring knife and other carving “tools.” take place during the Christmas season, but the need for food doesn’t go away after the holi days,” said Marilyn Corbin, state program leader for children, youth and families with Penn State Cooperative Extension. “In an agricultural state such as Pennsylvania, it’s sad that people still go hungry. The Pennsylvania food banks are in desperate need of our help.” Non-perishable items always are needed. Some of the types of foods most needed include: canned tuna, canned meats and stews, soups, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, packaged pasta and rice, canned and dried beans, pure fruit and vegetable juices, nonfat dry milk, baby food, cereal, and formula (must be within code date). The Department of Health re quires that all cans have labels and are free of dents or rust. Packaged goods must be factory sealed. Health laws prohibit the distribution of home-canned or Hot Air Circulator (Needs NO Electricity) • Special top-vents create a natural draft • Burns wood or coal • Cast Iron Doors & Grate • Exterior handle for clean shake down Optional Electric Fan for the maximum heat circulation •All DS Stoves have hot air (or hot water) regulators •All DS Stoves have cast iron doors and grates •All DS Stoves have exterior shaker handle for dust-free shake down D.S. Machine Shop Stoves &C Chimneys m.s, box se? 2388 Old Leacock Rd., Gordonville. PA 17529 Williamsport, PA 17701 717-768-3853 717-745-3253 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 5, 2002-B5 A panel of local celebrity judges will select the top three winners, who will be awarded gourmet cheese baskets and $l5O, $lOO and $5O respec tively. All finalists will receive prizes and have their creations showcased in the cheese dis play in the Food Court. The annual contest is spon sored by Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association, American Dairy Association & Dairy Council Mid East, and the Pennsylva nia Dairy Promotion Program. “This is an exciting way to celebrate one of America’s fa vorite foods,” said Deanna Rose, communications special ist for Mid-Atlantic Dairy As sociation and contest coordi nator. “The interest and popularity of domestic cheese is definitely growing, and the contest provides a fun and fes tive setting to highlight the versatility of cheese.” home-packaged foods. Statistics from the Pennsylva nia Hunger Action Center show that more than 736,800 Pennsyl vanians are “food insecure” each year, and that number is rising. More than half of those are chil dren. “4-H is proud to lead such an important effort to make a differ ence in the lives of needy citi zens,” said Corbin. “4-H encour ages all citizens to join in the fight to eliminate hunger in this state and to become involved in local community action initia tives.” “As we gather this holiday sea son around tables with a bounty of delicious fodd, it is important to reflect on the fact that the threat of hunger is a widening phenomenon in our society,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be this way. By donating food to the 4-H Can Make a Difference House, you can help to reduce the threat of hunger so children and fami lies can live a more healthy life.”
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers