Penn State Extension Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Farm Show

The 96th Farm Show opened its doors to the public on the Saturday, January 5th with the show ending on the following Saturday, January 12th. During this week-long exposition, exhibitors showed   6,000 animals as well as presenting 10,000 competitive exhibits and 300 commercial exhibits. Penn State Extension Philadelphia 4-H clubs play an important role for the preservation of the agricultural tradition.

The members of Penn State Extension Philadelphia Manatawna-Saul 4-H Club were among the 240,000 4-Hrs who participated in the 2012 Farm Show. For the members of the club, the Farm Show is their opportunity to show their project animals after months of feeding, grooming, and preparing their animals to be shown. Because 4-Hrs “learn by doing”, they are involved in all aspects of the animals care and have to pass a test in order to be a Farm Show participant. They must learn how to properly groom their project animals, the parts of their project animal, feeding and knowing what to feed their project animals, and how to administer medication.

To Scott Moser, the leader and director of the Penn State Extension Philadelphia Manatawna-Saul 4-H Livestock Club, youth participation in Penn State Extension Philadelphia 4-H programs is important because “they enjoy experiences that will last them a life-time”.

The members of the Penn State Extension Philadelphia Manatawna-Saul 4-H Club meet on Saturdays throughout the year at the Manatawna Farm, a satellite campus of The W. B. Saul Agricultural High School. The 4-H members of the club include: Josh Veloz, Yael Goldstein, Alasia Reid, Lasheeda Brooks, Sarah Rybak, Caroline Rybak, Rachel Teson, Mary Sohler, Thomas Sohler, Rachel Sobel, Raphael Rabin, Tamika Lyghts, Sebastian Scott, and Nicholas Arbasak.