The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture today shared the schedule for the virtual 2021 Pennsylvania Farm Show. Traditionally held in Harrisburg at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, the department announced a move to a virtual show as Pennsylvania continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In January, we will celebrate Pennsylvania agriculture together with the virtual 2021 Farm Show,” said Agriculture Secretary Russ Redding. “We have seen over this extraordinary past year that agriculture is not only an asset to our communities and our economy, but it is absolutely essential to each and every one of our lives.”
“In January, we’ll introduce you to some of the extraordinary people in the industry who have fed our commonwealth, our nation, and our world through good times and bad,” added Redding. “You could learn to cultivate your own garden, or to liven up your meals with inspiration from the virtual Culinary Connection, or how to tie-dye a t-shirt with plants. Just like our agriculture industry, this Farm Show will offer up bounty and variety to enrich your life.”
The full schedule of events is available at farmshow.pa.gov. Some staples of the show include:
- The traditional kick-off of each day with the National Anthem,
- 4-H demonstrations,
- Live ducking pond and beehive cams,
- A Cultivating Tomorrow panel discussion series,
- STEM demonstrations that can be recreated at home with kids,
- Culinary demonstrations,
- Veteran-farmer stories,
- DIY plant-based projects and activities,
- Segments about the history of Farm Show,
- Agriculturally themed bedtime stories, and more!
In addition to live and pre-recorded events that will be featured on the Pennsylvania Farm Show Facebook page and the Pennsylvania Cable Network, the Farm Show will host Virtual Exhibits at farmshow.pa.gov. These more than 180 virtual exhibits include videos, activities, and other learning opportunities that range from all things about bluebirds, gourds, and cider to how to cook dried beans, how to raise hogs, or make a blue ribbon-winning apple pie.
The full schedule of virtual events will run from Monday, January 11 through Friday, January 15, 2021, with previews and light programming running Saturday, January 9 and Sunday, January 10.
If that’s not enough opportunities to immerse yourself in Pennsylvania agriculture, you can follow the Pennsylvania Farm Show on Instagram, where they’ll host 20 takeovers that will take you behind the scenes on Pennsylvania’s farms. Follow along to learn the innerworkings of everything from goat or poultry farming, to organic agriculture or bees or rabbits. The Instagram takeovers will run from Saturday, January 9 through Saturday, January 16, 2021.
“We hope that this year’s virtual show can offer a whole new perspective on a beloved tradition,” said Redding. “We look forward to being welcomed into homes across the commonwealth as we Cultivate Tomorrow.”