PA Farm Show still sparks amazement for new attendees

'We don't even know how big this place is.'

• Ed Mahon
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  Ed Mahon comes to Spotlight PA from PA Post, where he covered state politics and policy, produced radio stories that were broadcast on public media stations throughout the state and on NPR’s national newscasts, and co-wrote a weekday newsletter. Prior to joining PA Post, Ed worked for six years as an investigative and political reporter for the York Daily Record, part of the USA Today Network. His reporting on failures in Pennsylvania’s system for protecting domestic abuse victims was a finalist in the national 2018 Livingston Awards for Young Journalists in the local reporting category. He was also part of a team whose coverage of the criminal justice system, including the aggressive use of civil asset forfeiture by York County prosecutors, received the 2018 G. Richard Dew Award for Journalistic Service from the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. Before joining the York Daily Record, Ed covered K-12 education at the Centre Daily Times in State College and worked as a stringer for suburban sections of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He grew up in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

 Ed Mahon / PA Post

Ron Semanick, who traveled from Northampton County to visit the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, stands outside the butter sculpture exhibit on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. (Ed Mahon / PA Post)

Ed Mahon / PA Post

Ron Semanick, who traveled from Northampton County to visit the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, stands outside the butter sculpture exhibit on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. (Ed Mahon / PA Post)

Ron Semanick, a 58-year-old accountant, made his first trip to the Pennsylvania Farm Show on Tuesday.

“This is incredible,” Semanick told another person while gazing at the half-ton butter sculpture exhibit. “All the stuff here. Amazing.”

I’ve attended the Pennsylvania Farm Show several times in recent years — sometimes as a sightseer, mostly as a reporter.

Semanick made the trip from Northampton County with his wife. Talking with him was an unusual experience, because most of the people I talk to at the Farm Show have been coming for many, many years.

That was the case with 54-year-old Howard Lewis, Jr. He told me he’s been coming to the Farm Show for more than 25 years. On Tuesday, he was there to chaperone an elementary school class trip for his son.

I talked with Lewis near the butter sculpture, which depicts three mascots for Pennsylvania sports teams. He thought the choice of mascots featured was OK, but said he prefers butter sculptures with more of an agricultural theme.

Still, Lewis said he’s amazed by all the work that goes into creating the sculpture. And his son, 9-year-old Howard Lewis III, who was drinking a vanilla milkshake, said he liked that the butter sculpture featured the mascot for the Philadelphia Eagles, his favorite team.

I was at the Farm Show Tuesday to do some reporting and talk to people who visited the booth that PA Post set up. Many children tried out our spinning wheel trivia game — a game that featured many questions I had difficulty answering. (The firefly, it turns out, is the state insect of Pennsylvania.)

I also scouted out some activities for my family to do when we return on Saturday. I took a photo to show my wife of an exhibit where kids can dig in dirt. I ate a fried chicken sandwich that was probably the best meal I’ve ever had at the Farm Show. And I was reminded how cold it can feel in some parts of the complex.

I wound up learning some things: Nathan Tallman, executive director of the Pennsylvania Co-Operative Potato Growers, told me the state is home to 24 potato chip manufacturing plants — more than any other state. Why is Pa. number one? Tallman said we can thank the Pennsylvania Dutch and their history of making fried food. Plus, Pennsylvania is relatively close drive to markets serving a lot of people.

The potato chip info is a fun bit of trivia I’m sure I’ll repeat when I return to the Farm Show this weekend, and in years to come. Semanick, the accountant from Northampton County, says he, too, will be back.

After a few hours of reporting and wandering the exhibits, I ran into Semanick between a row of cows and a water ice stand.

“We’re having a fantastic time,” he told me. “Samples of everything: Wine, beer, cheese.”

He planned to continue exploring before leaving for the day. “We don’t even know how big this place is,” he said.

Some other Farm Show fare:

• PennLive’s Sean Adams looked at the challenges facing dairy farmers. Meanwhile, WITF’s Katie Meyers has a story on  how some dairy farmers and producers who received state grants are having trouble with one of the requirements: paying the prevailing wage, which sets rates for contracted workers in projects that use state money.

• WGAL has this fun story about wooden trinkets that make animal sounds. “They sound like what they look like,” the carver told the station. (The wolf one was legit impressive, in my humble opinion.)

• LNP has this handy guide to what’s new at this year’s show (which ends Saturday). Oreos deep fried in a berry batter, and Parmesan-breaded chicken meatballs are on the list.

Best of the rest

Jacqueline Larma / AP Photo

In this file photo, House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, addresses the House chamber after taking the oath of office on Tuesday Jan. 1, 2019, in Harrisburg. (AP Photo / Jacqueline Larma)

• Special elections for three state House seats will take place on March 17. House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, has the power to choose special election dates for his chamber, and his chief of staff told The Associated Press that Turzai he has had a policy of moving quickly on special elections.

• But House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody, D-Allegheny, is criticizing the decision, calling it a waste of taxpayer money. Standalone special elections typically cost between $300,000 and $500,000, Dermody’s office said. To save money, the Democrat said the three special elections should be held on the same day as the April 28 primary.

• Why do these special elections matter? After picking up seats in 2018, Democrats hope to win control of the state’s House of Representatives in this year’s general election, as The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Andrew Seidman reported back in November.

• Separately, a special election will take place Jan. 14 for Republican Mike Folmer’s Senate seat. Folmer resigned in September after being charged with possession of child pornography.

• PennLive’s Jan Murphy profiled the two candidates for the 48th state Senate district, which covers all of Lebanon County, plus parts of York and Dauphin counties. Republicans hold a voter registration advantage in the district over Democrats: About 50 percent to 35 percent, Jan reports.

• Winning control of the state Senate became more difficult for Democrats after state Sen. John Yudichak left the party and started caucusing with Republicans in November.

• In non-election news, former top Senate aide Drew Crompton was sworn into a vacant seat on the Commonwealth Court Tuesday. Meanwhile, some Democratic senators want to increase transparency around the appointment process for judicial nominees, Zack Needles reports for Law.com/The Legal Intelligencer. (Spotlight PA wrote a big story on this topic in November.)