Spanning eight days, 24 acres and hundreds of exhibitors, the PA Farm Show is truly an experience to behold. This century-old showcase of Pennsylvania agriculture takes place every January in Harrisburg, and it is the largest indoor agricultural event in the whole country. It’s free to the public (there is a $15 charge for parking) and allows you to take in a vast array of showmanship, contests, food, talks, demonstrations, livestock and more, while meeting the people who power PA’s robust agricultural industry. Some of the culinary highlights include milkshakes, mushrooms, apple-everything, funnel cake, pierogies, pork sandwiches and a massive butter sculpture (for viewing, only). While it’s a dizzying spectacle, we’ve got the perfect lens for narrowing your Farm Show Scope: the PA Preferred® experience!
The 2025 Farm Show kicks off with the PA Preferred Reception on Friday, January 3 at 5:30 p.m. This ticketed event ($40) is a special evening celebrating PA agriculture, farmers and producers with a feast of locally sourced, handcrafted food and drink.
PA Preferred farmers and producers offer products grown and harvested within Pennsylvania. By supporting them, you support your own local economy and ensure you’re eating fresh, nutritious products. You’ll find these PA Preferred vendors in the Main Hall (MH), Giant Exposition Hall (GEX) and the New Holland Arena (NHA) of Farm Show. Check them out:
Culinary Connection
Student chefs Grace, Leah and Roman win the 2024 Culinary Connections School Cooking Challenge
Boost your culinary savvy at PA Preferred’s Culinary Connection stage in the Main Hall at Farm Show, a week-long cooking show and competition series showcasing local farmers, chefs, organizations and food. Each day follows a different theme with friendly competitions and culinary wizards from all over the Commonwealth walking you through delectable dishes. Most days at the Culinary Connection stage begin and end with maple syrup and honey extraction demonstrations at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. This dynamic, ever-changing cast of personalities and ingredients is organized around particular foods and organizations:
- January 4 – Beef & Veal Day: Learn recipes for Jägerschnitzel, Salisbury steak, Bolognese, braciole, short ribs and more. You can also enjoy an “Iron Chef”-style competition at 1 p.m.
- January 5 – Vegetable Day: Leading up to a cooking challenge with students from the Pennsylvania College of Technology at 5 p.m., learn to make kinds of veggie-based delights, like lutensita relish, parsnip and celery root cream soup, pad thai, cauliflower steak and drunken noodles with sweets, including pumpkin whoopie pies and chocolate chip zucchini loaf.
- January 6 – GIANT Food Stores Day: Learn from a number of GIANT’s registered dieticians as they lead you through recipes, including almond-crusted rainbow trout, sheet-pan bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, and skillet chicken with apples and cider.
- January 7 – Potato Day: Enjoy a Best Tater Creation Kids Showdown at 1 p.m. and presentations of imaginative spud-centric dishes all day, like potato street corn poppers and a potato, caramelized onion and bacon tart.
- January 8 – Mushroom Day: Learn from presenters hailing from southern Chester County, the famed “Mushroom Capital of the World,” as they share recipes, including frittata and casserole. Check out a mushroom appetizer cook-off at 1 p.m. followed by a recipe for Honduran chicken and mushroom sandwichitos, and a panel discussion on Diversity at the Table.
- January 9 – Military Appreciation Day featuring Homegrown by Heroes: Learn recipes like sun-dried tomato chicken and Peruvian pan-seared salmon from U.S. veterans, and check out an Army vs. Navy cook-off at 1 p.m. to see who comes out on top!
- January 10 – Pork Day: This day’s inventive recipes will have you just waiting to pig out. Learn how to make braised pork shank al sugo, milk-braised pork shoulder with aged cheddar grits and bacon collard greens, smoked pork collar and green curry pork. To enjoy some spirited competition, check out the Best Pork Ribeye Cap Steak Competition at 1 p.m.
- January 11 – Dairy Day: If you enjoy dairy even a little bit, you won’t want to miss this day. Recipes include crostinis with ricotta, caramelized Brussels and crispy bacon, cheddar and bacon skyr biscuits, herb and ricotta agnolotti with Boursin cream sauce and a grapefruit cheesecake. An Undeniably Dairy Milkshake Contest takes place at 1 p.m. and is sure to be a hit!
Army vs. Navy Cook-Off
Don’t forget to grab a copy of the PA Preferred Culinary Connection Recipe book for a collection of the recipes that are demonstrated on stage and bring them to life in your own kitchen.
Home & Kitchen
There are some special PA Preferred products for the home and kitchen to check out at Farm Show this year. In the New Holland Arena, head to A & S Dog Treats, LLC (booth 14) and bring home treats to spoil your pet. Autism-owned A&S offers treats, salves, blankets and more for cats and dogs to live their best life.
In the Main Hall, find some lovely clean products via Christina Maser Company (booth 100), and skin products from Hilltop Acres Naturals (booth 304). The Christina Maser Company creates soy wax candles, handmade pantry staples and other natural products for home care. Hilltop Acres Natural utilizes emu oil and pawpaw to create creams and products for soothing dry, itchy or otherwise irritated skin.
Pennsylvania Hickory Syrup
Upgrade your breakfast experience with Burnt Cabins Grist Mill LLC (MH booth 107), which produces old fashioned and all natural pancake, waffle, scone and cornbread mixes, flours and syrup. Its property in Fulton County is home to an 1840 grist mill and is available for on-site camping year round. Elevate those pancakes even further with artisan crafted hickory (yes, hickory) syrups from PA Hickory Syrup (MH 120). Made with shagbark hickory bark in Mifflintown, this incredible specialty syrup comes in flavors like blackberry, hickory nut and bourbon. And, hailing from Windsor, Uglie Acres (MH booth 106) offers jams and jellies made with fruits like mulberry, Concord grape, red pepper and banana. Uglie Acres also makes a mean barbecue sauce and treats like toffee, lemon curd and peanut brittle.
Special Agricultural Interest
This year, you’ll find a number of PA Preferred associations and trade organizations showcasing different facets of Pennsylvania agriculture.
In the Main Hall, find PA State Grange (booth 1128), a mission-driven organization focused on betterment of American life, particularly in rural areas, through community service, fellowship and education with programming for children and adults. This historic group was chartered in Pennsylvania in 1873.
You can check out the PA Vegetable Growers Association (PVGA) (GEX booth 2006) and the PA Co-Operative Potato Growers, Inc. (GEX booth 2000 and MG booths 907, 1001 and concession stand), two organizations helping to strengthen the network and practice of growers in PA. The PVGA represents commercial vegetable and berry growers in the state and has developed quite a presence at Farm Show since first debuting its vegetable soup in 1979.
Celebrity Honey Extraction Contest
Sweeten your experience with a visit to the PA State Beekeepers Association who, in addition to daily honey extraction demonstrations at the PA Preferred Culinary Connection stage, will have its own spot in the Main Hall (booth 1003). This association represents 1,700 registered beekeepers across PA and raises funds or its traveling Honey Queen educational program.
You’ll also find members of the PA Winery Association (booth 1126), an organization that advocates for the almost 500 wineries throughout the Commonwealth. Learn more about Pennsylvania’s incredible wines and taste some for yourself! There will also be a wine competition, pitting fine vintages toe-to-toe in categories like “Best of Show Dry Wine,” “Best of Show Fruit Wine” and “Best Sparkling.”
Dairy Delights
The Farm Show is known for its epic milkshakes, and you’ll find these creamy, icy delights through the PA Dairymen’s Association (GEX booth 2001 and MH booths 2008, 905 and 903). This nonprofit organization funds numerous impactful programs including Fill a Glass with Hope for neighbors in need and Future Farmers of America (FFA) youth projects, made possible in part by the funds it raises annually at Farm Show. Make sure to also visit Dairy Farmers of America (GEX 2107), a dedicated nationwide dairy cooperative with a strong PA presence.
Another PA Preferred member, Painterland Sisters (MH booth 203) offers its organic skyr yogurt, a protein and probiotic-rich style with flavors like Meadow Berry and Vanilla Bean. Say hello to sisters Hayley and Stephanie Painter, who launched their yogurt brand from the family dairy farm in 2022.
Finally, enjoy delicious cheese and learn about cheesemaking through the PA Cheese Guild (MH booth 1004), which represents purveyors in the cheese community across Pennsylvania.
Meat, Eggs and Animal Products
Check out beloved organic chicken company Bell & Evans (GEX booth 2400), a leading producer of chickens raised ethically and without antibiotics, and sample some of its chicken products. Glory Be Farm (MH booth 405) from Lancaster County will be on hand with its Berkshire pork and tasty sweet-and-hot pork snack sticks. For beef, head over to Greenwood Valley Wagyu, LLC (MH booth 208), which offers PA-raised Wagyu beef in addition to handcrafted tallow lotion, soap and lip balm, plus leather goods. R. W. Sauder (aka Sauder’s) (MH booth 212) offers cage-free and pasture-raised eggs, including packs of flavored, peeled hard-boiled eggs to pop open and enjoy.
Alpacas are among the Farm Show’s top celebrity appearances, with their sweet and curious personalities and impossibly soft and fluffy hair. Thunder River Alpaca Company (MH booth 602) showcases champion suri alpacas and is also involved with the fiber aspect of the alpaca industry. Beth Lutz of Painted Spring Farm Alpacas and The Alpaca Yarn Company (MH booth 1414) specializes in alpaca fibers, specifically yarn of all colors, weights and sizes. If you’d rather skip the knitting, check out its premade products, like socks, shawls and cowls, among other beautiful handmade products that make amazing gifts.
We’d love to hear what you see and do at the Pennsylvania Farm Show this year. Tag PA Preferred on Instagram with your favorite products and which PA Preferred members you find! Keep an eye out for the PA Preferred check mark logo, and enjoy this incredible agricultural event.
This series was created in collaboration with PA Preferred.
PA Preferred® is Pennsylvania’s statewide branding program that promotes locally grown and processed food and other agricultural products.
- Photos: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
