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Last week was the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show and several Tioga countians exhibited their wares, goods, produce, livestock and machinery at the week-long event held at the farm show complex in Harrisburg, PA. Our state farm show is the largest indoor agricultural event in the United States and is the perfect place to showcase the business of agriculture here in Pennsylvania. Here in Tioga County, maple syrup production is also big business and we are proud of the fact that two maple syrup producers from the county were winners at the centennial event. Several county 4-H’ers and their leaders also took home awards in several other farm show related categories.

Syrup:
Dale and Melanie Miller of Hills Creek Road, Wellsboro took home winnings in eight categories including a first place ribbon and a Best of Show for their maple syrup entry ‘Grade A Golden with Delicate Flavor’. They also took a first place ribbon for their ‘Miller’s Purely Maple Gift Basket’ and their ‘sugar, crumb not less than 1/2 pound’ entry. To find out more about the Miller’s and their operation visit their website or watch last year’s Home Page feature.

Dora and Jim Tice of Mainesburg took home first place for their ‘Grade A Golden’ syrup, ‘Grade A Dark’ syrup, and ‘Grade A Very Dark’ syrup, as well as a first place for their half-gallon plastic jug syrup entry. To find out more about the Tice’s and their operation read their story.

Goats:
Marcia Boney of Little Marsh and her farm Mar-Bon Dairy Goats took home so many ribbons we can’t list them all here! She did take 30 dairy breed goats down to the show and we congratulate her for bringing home the Grand Champion Sable breed award for her goat named ‘Calliope’, the Reserve Grand Champion Sable breed award for her goat named ‘Tippy’, and the Junior Champion Lamanche breed award for her goat named ‘Skipper’. For more information on her milking goat operation you can visit their website.

‘Liberty Community 4-H Club’ members Dessa Hopkins, Katelyn Feaster, Amy Feaster, Erin Shaffer, Molly Zeafla and Amanda Zeafla attended this year’s show along with ‘Clever Clovers 4-H Club’ of Millerton’s Gavin Cloos and leader Katie Root. The Spencer boys (Josh, Jacob, and Joseph) of ‘This N That 4-H Club’ of Mainesburg also went to the show with their market hogs as did Kaycee Kaltenbach of Wellsboro with her FFA market goat.

Susan Judlin; Leader of ‘The Supremely Odd Club’ of Wellsboro received the Outstanding PA 4-H Goat Club Leader award. Another Tioga County 4-H Leader Sasha Diederich and Tioga County 4-H extension educator received a third place ribbon for her Serene Acres Farm entry in non-solid colored wool fleece.

Molly Zeafla took first place and ‘Best of Show’ for her sewing outfit and Erin Shaffer took first place in ‘Fashion Revue’ and second place for her sewing outfit entry. Alyssa Zeafla took first place in ‘Scrapbook’, first place in ‘Counted Cross Stitch’ and second place for her basket entry. Amy Feaster took first place for her sewn outfit entry, first place in ‘Photography’ and first place in ‘Foods Poster’.

FFA:
This year Melanie Berndtson, Wellsboro FFA/Grand Canyon FFA leader and Wellsboro Area high school agriculture teacher who was also a recipient of the National Association of Agricultural Educators Ideas Unlimited Award in 2015, received a third place for her school’s agricultural education exhibit.

Congratulations all, from Wellsboro Home Page.