A visit to the Farm Show

Huge steers and massive swine are going before expert livestock judges at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, but some of the biggest attractions are tiny.

There’s often a line outside the enclosed butterfly tent – the room admits just a few people at a time, carrying Q-tips dipped in blue Gatorade for the butterflies.

Joan Folk, of Folk’s Butterfly Farm in Luzerne County, said some of the butterflies have escaped…

“There have been a few that have gotten out, but they’ve been returned to us,” she said. “The young fellow that just brought the one back, it was attached to his pant leg.”

Tina West, of Warren County, was working behind the counter at the wine-tasting booth. The tastes are served in tiny plastic cups, and West laughed at the mention of having to cut people off.

“No, usually they’re really good,” said West. “And we’re really good about what we give each customer… just little sippies, yeah, so they don’t get intoxicated, we don’t need that.”

Over by the cows, Cheyenne Saumier was answering questions about a different kind of drink. The Somerset County Dairy Princess stood next to a life-sized fake cow with an udder that squirted water instead of milk.

“They just kind of grab it and squeeze it,” said Saumier, pointing to the young children in line to try their hand at milking. “But in reality, when you milk a cow, you have to, like – you have to grab it and pull it. You can’t just squeeze. It doesn’t come out.”

Coming attractions include the popular sheep to shawl competition, and something new to Farm Show: a celebrity grape stomping contest.