HARRISBURG, Pa. – Young visitors to the 2015 Pennsylvania Farm Show can become “Farm Show Detectives” at 29 learning stations by investigating the role of bees in food production, measuring their height in horse hands and learning how sap becomes maple syrup.
The eight-day show runs Jan. 10-17 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg.
“The Farm Show Detectives program is a great way to educate young visitors – and their parents, guardians and teachers – about the variety in Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry,” said Agriculture Secretary George Greig. “Whether as families or as school groups, children learn where their food comes from in a fun, hands-on way.”
Greig said the stations will feature 4-H, alpacas, apples, beef and veal, bees and honey, beetles and bugs, the butter sculpture, dairy, dogs, edible nuts, the environment, farm equipment, goats, horses, local food, logging horses, maple, mushrooms, pigs, poultry, rabbits, sheep, vegetables, veterinary medicine and the WoodMobile.
New this year are stops for exploring everyday ways agriculture impacts our lives with Penn State, learning the parts of a tractor alongside a tractor amusement ride and discovering the importance of keeping dogs safe with the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement.
Pick up and drop off official Farm Show Detectives maps at the Department of Agriculture booth now located near the north entrance of the Weis Expo Hall, the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators booth also in the Expo Hall, or any information booth across the complex. Use the map to visit learning stations located throughout the complex.
Detectives who visit at least 15 learning stations are eligible to win the grand prize – one year of free ice cream from Turkey Hill. Each day five winners receive Turkey Hill party packs and one takes home a cow or truck replica.
The stations are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 10-17, and until 5 p.m. Jan. 17.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show is the largest indoor agricultural event in the nation, featuring nearly 6,000 animals, 10,000 competitive exhibits and 300 commercial exhibitors. Admission is free and parking is $10. For more information, visit www.farmshow.state.pa.us.
