Reaching a ‘Hungry’ Audience

As the Population Changes, Farm Show Becomes Ever-Important Ag Education Platform

Charlene M. Shupp Espenshade
Special Sections Editor

Brown cows don’t give chocolate milk.

There is a difference between hay and straw.

Real life queens and princesses don’t live in castles, but come from farms.

These are just a few of the countless revelations that will occur at this year’s Pennsylvania Farm Show. During the 10 days of the show, visitors will discover that today’s agriculture does not look like “American Gothic,” the classic Grant Wood painting.

Starting today, the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex will be filled to capacity as people walk through the aisles of the complex to learn about agriculture.

While farmers will be in the crowd, for a majority of those in attendance this will be the closest they will ever be to seeing (and smelling) agriculture.

During the course of the show, the Farm Show complex is turned into an urban farm of sorts where a milk truck will pick up milk, hay and grain will be hauled in, and where people can interact with farmers caring for the 6,000 cows, horses, sheep, pigs, chickens, rabbits and horses that will call the complex home for a week.

With an ever-widening divide between the farm and the dinner table, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and several agricultural organizations are looking to reconnect consumers with the farmers who put food on their dinner plate.

“Visitors to the Farm Show are open to learning about agriculture — and it’s become a family tradition even for non-farm visitors,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “It’s also unique that this ‘24 acres of agriculture’ is set in an urban area in the state’s capital city. The show offers our exhibitors and vendors of every sector the opportunity to tell the agriculture story and educate our diverse group of visitors in a much broader way.”

“Farmer for a Day,” “Farm Show Detective,” “Pig Professor,” and poultry “Eggs-perts” are just a few of the attractions at the 2010 show.

“We also recognize the need to make the Farm Show consumer-friendly because of the disconnect between the general public and the farming community with less than two percent of American’s population being actively engaged in production agriculture,” said Redding.

The agriculture department will be hosting several educational events including “Farm Show Detective” as kids search for 20 different stations throughout the complex. When they complete the stations on their Farm Show map, they will be able to enter for a prize including a year’s worth of ice cream from Turkey Hill. To start the search, kids will collect their map from the department’s booth located in the Main Hall of the complex.

“Farm Show Ambassadors” will also assist visitors with different activities at the department’s booth.

Located in the Main Exhibit hall is the “Farmer for a Day” area. The area, organized by the Family Living Department, is staffed by the Pennsylvania State Grange.

“Kids love to play in the corn boxes, gather eggs from under the chickens, “dig” for potatoes and carrots in the hay, and enjoy the many other activities.

Posters around the area pose and answer questions about Pennsylvania agriculture, such as how much water does one cow drink per day, how much hay does a horse consume, or how many eggs do chickens lay,” said State Master (President) Betsy Huber. “The Grange volunteers are knowledgeable about agriculture and can answer parents’ and children’s questions and put a ‘face’ to farming, at least for a moment.”

And it’s that face many farm organizations are searching to bring back to people.

Returning for a second year is a cooperative education effort by PennAg Industries, the poultry industry, and swine industry displaying what a caged layer house and what a swine farrowing crate looks like.

“It is a very unique opportunity for those in the agriculture industry to have an audience of that size attend an event which is set to showcase agriculture,” said Kelly Caldwell of PennAg Industries. “It is our job to take advantage of those large attendance numbers and tell our story. There are many benefits to modern production agriculture and those benefits need to be known and understood.”

The caged layer display and “eggs-perts” or poultry farmers and industry representatives will be located in the Poultry Barn. The swine display will be in the North Barn next to the “Row of Champions.” Members of the Pennsylvania Pork Producers Council and Penn State staff will be available to answer questions.

In its second year, Caldwell said the displays have been helpful in explaining modern agriculture practices to the visitors. “Many of those opposed to modern practices simply do not have all of the information needed to make an accurate judgment,” she said. “We just need to take the time and tell our story and promote the good work being done to secure the safety and welfare of our animals.”

For fun, PennAg is sponsoring the VIP Dairy Showmanship Contest on Wednesday with Sen. Elder Vogel, a dairy farmer, hosting the event. Vogel will provide dairy facts to the crowd as selected state legislators will try their hand at showing a dairy calf with its owner on had for coaching.

Over in the Expo Hall, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau will be hosting interactive areas at its booth such as the “Wheel of Food” and “Be a Pig Professor” for visitors to try. The “Wheel of Food,” is run by PFB’s Promotion and Education Committee. The display tests a person’s knowledge of where their food comes from. The fun starts when the wheel is spun. After it stops on a picture of food, the player is asked to identify a picture of the animal from which the food comes from. Regardless of the answer, the participant receives a treat for answering the question.

The Pennsylvania Friend’s of Agriculture Foundation will be appointing “Pig Professors” in a fun and interactive exercise at the Farm Bureau exhibit area.

Children are encouraged to take the “Be a Pig Professor” challenge to test their knowledge of pork products. Participants will receive “pig hats” for taking part in the exercise.

“Often the general public does not know about many of the economic, regulatory and other challenges faced by farmers,” said PFB President Carl Shaffer. “When we inform the public about these challenges and talk to them about how farmers truly care about the food they produce, the animals they raise and environmental issues, we receive positive reactions and feedback. With a better understanding of farm issues with consumers, it is then easier to gain support for policies and initiatives that benefit agriculture.”

All agree, there is a genuine desire among visitors to learn more about agriculture. The agriculture department is featuring products throughout the show bearing the PA Preferred label, denoting that the product was produced and processed in Pennsylvania. The show is also focusing on showcasing Pennsylvania-grown products.

Caldwell said the Farm Show also shows that farmers are working to communicate on a level that consumers understand; the emotional side of farming. While the science is important, she noted farmers are learning how to connect and share their story with visitors.

“More and more people have no connection to farming. So it is more important than ever for farmers to engage the public, listen to their questions and provide them with factual and practical information about their operations and farming practices,” Shaffer said.

The Farm Show continues until Jan. 16

For more information on the Farm Show visit, www.farmshow.state.pa.us.

Charlene Shupp Espenshade can be reached at cshupp.eph@lnpnews.com.