HARRISBURG, Pa. — This year’s Pennsylvania Farm Show butter sculpture is a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the PA Preferred brand and of the Farm Show theme, Connecting our Communities.
The 1,000-pound diorama, sculpted over two weeks by sculptors Jim Victor and Marie Pelton, of Conshohocken, is titled A Table for All: Pennsylvania Dairy Connects Communities.
The sculpture depicts urban and rural Pennsylvanians connecting around a meal of local food against a backdrop of a cityscape and farm skyline. The diners celebrate a harvest of Pennsylvania products with a centerpiece of the keystone-and-checkmark PA Preferred logo. PA Preferred is Pennsylvania’s statewide brand for locally grown and made agricultural products. A butter calf and butter pig round out the display, standing inexplicably beside the table.
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding unveiled the display Jan. 4 ahead of the opening of the 108th Pennsylvania Farm Show, which runs Jan. 6-13 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center, in Harrisburg. The butter sculpture is located in the Main Hall, just inside the Maclay Street Lobby.
“Through these connections, we share the stories of who we are, our hope in the future, our reverence of the past, strengthing the bonds that transcend zip codes and town limits. From the farmers markets to the fairs to the farms themselves…to be part of that community is important, but all of that comes together here at the PA Farm Show,” Redding said, during a ceremony Jan. 4. “There’s no better place to see them connectedness than right here.
The sculpture is sponsored by the American Dairy Association North East and the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program. This is the 33rd year of the annual attraction.
Following the Farm Show, the butter from the sculpture, which was donated by Land O’ Lakes in Cumberland County, will be recycled at Reinford Farms in Juniata County and converted into renewable energy in the farm’s methane digester.
Farm Show. The 2024 Pennsylvania Farm Show runs through Jan. 13. Admission is free. Parking is $15 per vehicle.
The largest indoor agricultural expo in the nation, featuring nearly 6,000 animals, 12,000-plus competitive events and exhibits, nearly 250 commercial exhibits and hundreds of educational and entertaining events. A full schedule of events, maps and other information can be found at farmshow.pa.gov.
