The new Destination Dairy in the Northeast Hall will be unveiled at the 2020 Pennsylvania Farm Show.

This year’s show runs from Jan. 4-11 in Harrisburg.

Destination Dairy will feature the Calving Corner as the cornerstone exhibit, giving farm show visitors the opportunity to witness the dairy birthing process.

Destination Dairy will also include interactive, family friendly learning stations, including activities centered around dairy nutrition, animal care, shopping locally and more. Families can participate in dairy trivia and enjoy skits and stories told by Pennsylvania dairy princesses on the Destination Dairy stage. 

“Our goal with Destination Dairy is to give farm show visitors a firsthand look at the quality and care that goes into Pennsylvania dairy,” says Miriam Miller, project manager for the Calving Corner. “The hands-on learning stations will highlight the entire process, from the dairy farm to the grocery store, so families can walk away with a true understanding of where their milk comes from.”

Pennsylvania is home to 6,200 dairy farm families, nearly 40 dairy processing companies, and a wide array of small-scale dairy creameries and artisan cheesemakers. Ninety-nine percent of all dairy farms in Pennsylvania are family owned.

The Destination Dairy exhibit hall will highlight several of the state’s dairy farm families and share the impact Pennsylvania dairy is making on local communities and the state’s economy.

Pennsylvania dairy princesses and dairy industry volunteers will be available to guide families through the Destination Dairy learning stations and answer questions about the Pennsylvania dairy industry.

“Families that visit the Destination Dairy hall and Calving Corner exhibit will have the opportunity to interact with local dairy farmers, veterinarians, nutritionists and industry representatives that are volunteering their time and animals to share one of the many miracles of modern animal agriculture,” Miller says. “It’s an exciting, educational experience for the entire family.”

Four Pennsylvania farms within an hour of Harrisburg are bringing cows to calve on-site during the entire week of the show. They include Yippee! Farms, owned by Arlin and Deborah Benner of Mount Joy; Meadow Spring Farm, owned by Tom and Andy Bollinger of Lititz; Meadow Wood Farms, owned by Dave, Bob and Tom Bomberger of Lebanon; and Franklin View Farms, owned by Jim, Nelson and Aaron Breneman of Washington Boro.

Destination Dairy and the Calving Corner are made possible by the Friends of the Pennsylvania Farm Show, Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association, Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania, American Dairy Association North East, Center for Dairy Excellence, Northeast Agricultural Education Foundation Inc., Mid-Atlantic-AgChoice Farm Credit, Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement, Land O’Lakes Foundation, Allied Milk Producers and additional dairy organizations with support from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.