Locals headed to state Farm Show
Butler County residents will be among the hundreds of thousands attending the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.
The annual event, which has drawn as many as 500,000 people to its gates in past years, begins Saturday, although many competitors will bring and settle their animals and other items into the venue Friday.
Amy Metrick, a 4-H educator and county director, said about 10 families from Butler County will head to Harrisburg. The only prerequisite for attendance was to have previously shown the same animal — such as a goat, cow or chicken — or other competitive item — such as a quilt, baked goods and art — at another event.
“It's a good family event in the middle of winter,” Metrick said.
The earlier part of the week will mostly revolve around the youth competitions, and in the latter part of the week, as children return to school, the adults have their turn at auctions and contests.
Ken Metrick, a 4-H leader and Amy's father, said the competition always is fierce.“Butler County is usually well-represented every year,” Ken Metrick said. “It's pretty intense. It's very fast-paced. The competition is pretty stiff.”Amy Metrick said the children from 4-H are bringing animals, all being a second project they raised after they sold the other at the Butler County Farm Show in July. Metrick said not all will make a sale, but she expects this year's group to compete well.Included in that group are Brielle Karns of Butler, and Rylee Colteryahn of Prospect, both of whom raised a champion lamb for this year's county show. Although with new project animals, there are no guarantees for them or the other children from the county.“Not everybody makes the sale,” Amy Metrick said. “You can't go out there thinking you're going to win it all, but sometimes you do.”Amy Metrick said even though the children take their projects seriously, they are all encouraged to enjoy the experience as a whole. She said even if they don't win, they still come away with lifelong memories and friendships.“You get to meet kids from all over the state,” Amy Metrick said. “It's a great opportunity for that.”Ken Metrick said the venue also is impressive in its own right, and it is a tribute to Pennsylvania's No. 1 industry, agriculture.The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex is the largest indoor farm show complex in the country, according to the state Department of Agriculture. By the week's end, it will feature about 10,000 competitive exhibits.“Even if you have no interest in agriculture, everyone should go once,” Ken Metrick said. “It's very educational.”
