Pennsylvania Farm Show Recap
Floor Speech
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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the Pennsylvania Farm Show which kicked off this past weekend.
For 110 years, farmers have met each January at the Farm Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The event is the largest indoor agricultural exposition in the country, featuring nearly 5,000 animals, more than 250 commercial exhibits, and welcomes more than 500,000 visitors each year.
The Farm Show is a great event for all ages and features many educational booths, helping children learn about the ag industry. One of the most popular attractions at the Pennsylvania Farm Show is the food court. Here, visitors can enjoy various food that features commodities grown in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
This year's Farm Show theme, ``Growing a Nation,'' is particularly fitting as we celebrate 250 years since our Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence.
For generations, American farmers have not only fed this country, they have helped to feed the world, and they have done so by continuously adapting and embracing new tools, technologies, and practices.
The success of U.S. agriculture has been built through the ingenuity, hard work, and the strategic application of science and technology.
I was proud to help open the 110th Farm Show on Saturday. It is always an honor to meet farmers from across the Commonwealth and learn about how they continue to ensure agriculture remains Pennsylvania's number one industry. It was particularly encouraging to see many young and aspiring farmers, making it clear that the next generation is ready to take charge and lead the industry.
I hosted my annual listening session, where I was able to take questions directly from producers and consumers. The crowd also included county commissioners, Farm Bureau leaders, State senators, representatives from Penn State, Delaware Valley, as well as lots of 4- H'ers, dairy princesses, and FFA members.
As the House Committee on Agriculture prepares to craft the farm bill 2.0, it is crucial to hear directly from the men and women who feed their communities and this Nation.
I was glad to be joined by my fellow Pennsylvania Congressmen, Ron Bresnahan and Dan Meuser. I was also proud to have Russell Redding, Pennsylvania's Secretary of Agriculture, and Dr. Troy Ott, dean of Penn State's College of Agricultural Science, on the panel.
This year, we celebrated passage of my bill, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which will be soon signed into law and brings back the option of whole milk and 2 percent milk, including flavored, to our schools' meal programs. Dairy farmers from across the Commonwealth championed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, and I thank them for their support for this commonsense bill.
Mr. Speaker, the Pennsylvania Farm Show has grown exponentially since it began over 100 years ago, a direct reflection of how our country's ag industry has grown. It was an honor to attend the Farm Show this year, and I thank all of those who worked tirelessly to make this incredible event possible.
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