11 of 26
![]()
As the saying goes, beauty is power. Show cattle are treated to the full spa treatment before being trotted out to seek best in show. According to one Future Farmers of America member, the process can take a good hour per animal, with shampoos, dryers, trimmers and "spa" treatments required to keep Bessy beautiful. Show-goers can wander within feet of the surprisingly relaxed animals.
Photo: Jenn Hall
12 of 26
![]()
Farmall tractors were popular from the 1920s through the 1970s. By midcentury, they were considered the cream of the crop, used mostly in the production of row crops. On display in the exhibition hall, this red number from the 1940s attracts a great deal of attention–and makes it easy to enjoy a brief farm-life fantasy.
Photo: Jenn Hall
13 of 26
![]()
One of the most engaging aspects of the show is the "Family Living" section, where prizes are doled out for everything from dried peppers in mason jars to wonders like this little number from hobbyist Nicole Blascovich. That it only landed second place in the non-professional category seems shocking, given the groovy design.
Photo: Jenn Hall
14 of 26
![]()
The Junior Market Goat Show & Showmanship competition turns out to be somewhat stressful–in large part because the contestants have minds of their own. Solid musculature and a strong stature seem to mark those goats destined for glory.
Photo: Jenn Hall
15 of 26
![]()
Meet the 2017 PA Honey Queen, official ambassador for all things sweet. Tasked with serving as a statewide educator for this Pennsylvania-made resource, Kayla Fusselman kicked off her reign at a three-day honey queen bootcamp where she learned all about the elixir. The state's beekeeper's association goes back more than a hundred years.
Photo: Jenn Hall
16 of 26
![]()
On Mushroom Day, former White House Chef John Moeller showed the audience how to prep mushroom soup and a sauté. A Lancaster native and author of From the President's Table to Yours, he cooked for both Bushes as well as Bill Clinton. Rumor has it that "all the first ladies like a nice mushroom soup at lunchtime." You heard it here first.
Photo: Jenn Hall
17 of 26
![]()
Right near the stage, the Know Your Farmer and Marketplace exhibits shine a spotlight on Pennsylvania food. The sleeper hit? This buffalo-hot egg made with Frank's RedHot and offered free. Tasty enough to sway this hard-boiled skeptic, it was spicy and satisfying.
Photo: Jenn Hall
18 of 26
![]()
Need a food break? Watch a sheepherding demonstration. Hop on a mechanical bull. Go to the Children's Pedal Tractor Pull (that's a thing). Expect witty banter from the arena announcers. At the High School Rodeo Championship, one quipped that the bull "kind of reminds me of a DC politician. He's got a point on one side, a point on the other, and nothing but bull in-between."
Photo: Jenn Hall
19 of 26
![]()
Farming is a framework for leadership. That's the concept behind The L.E.A.F. Project, says Program Assistant Mackenzie Johnson. Connecting youth to "the food they eat, the land on which it grows, and to each other," the high school internship program is a game changer for participants like Latik Maniah. He says it has shifted his worldview and powered him to communicate in new ways.
Photo: Jenn Hall
20 of 26
![]()
People go wild for the Pennsylvania Dairymen's Association milkshake, which some see as the star of the show. Long lines are standard, but you can't beat the quality. The shakes debuted back in 1954, when they were individually hand-dipped. According to ABC News, Fae Snyder of Camp Hill has been working the stand ever since. These days, machines help out and more than 140,000 are sold.
Photo: Jenn Hall