Harrisville woman has reserve grand champ
As the 103rd Pennsylvania Farm Show rolls along in Harrisburg, a local participant can offer something positive for farm enthusiasts stuck back home in Butler County.
Sara Lang, 22, of Harrisville is the owner of the show's reserve grand champion short-horned bull. Her bull, Snowball, is one of a handful of Butler County animals that earned early recognition as the show began over the weekend.
Lang said she was confident in her bull and is enjoying the environment of this year's show.
“It's very competitive, but everybody still helps each other when they need it,” Lang said.
Lang isn't new to the annual farm bonanza. This is her 11th year attending, she said, and she has already been there for several days. Lang arrived last Wednesday and won't be able to leave until Monday night at the earliest.
So, what's this year's show like? “Crowded,” she said. But still fun.
“It's good seeing all of my friends from home,” Lang said. “I've seen a lot of people from home (who) I don't get to see a lot because of school.”
Lang is an agriculture and extension education major at Pennsylvania State University. In conjunction with her program, Lang said she's bringing a class from Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon County to the farm show this week.
But don't fret, Butler County loyalists, Lang has been going to the Butler County Farm Show for years and said she could never pick between the two.
“I love Butler, that's home,” Lang said. “That's always a nostalgic place to be. I've showed there since I was 5. But it's always fun out here, too.”
The Pennsylvania Farm Show is the largest all-indoor agricultural exposition in North America.
About 12,000 exhibits have been entered into competitions this year, including about 5,300 animal competitions.
This year's farm show runs from through Saturday. The year's theme is “Inspiring Pennsylvania's Story.”
