Pennsylvania Ag Connection - Register Now for Farm Show's Antique Tractor, Engine Show

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Register Now for Farm Show's Antique Tractor, Engine Show
Pennsylvania Ag Connection - 12/12/2017

Antique farm equipment enthusiasts can help to tell the story of Pennsylvania's diverse agricultural history by bringing their vintage iron to the 102nd Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg next month.

"Pennsylvania has long been a land of agricultural leaders and pioneers through our practices, our ideas, and our equipment," said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. "The equipment our farmers use to work the land and grow and harvest the food we enjoy is part of the story of agriculture. That's especially the case with antique equipment. Those stories connect us to our heritage and understand our past, and antique tractors will vividly illustrate the stories of agriculture for visitors at the 2018 Farm Show."

The antique tractor and engine exhibit -- the 12th year for the display -- will take place Wednesday, January 10, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, inside the heated and ventilated Equine Arena. Registrations are due by Tuesday, January 2, 2018. Space is limited to 100 entries to be selected on a first-come, first-served basis.Entries are open to any restored antique wheel and crawler tractors built before 1978, original tractors in good condition, restored antique farm trucks, and stationary gas engines. All tractor operators must be at least 16 years of age. Entry and parking is free for all exhibitors. Call 717-738-2573 to register.

Additional events during the exhibition include a pedal tractor pull for children weighing 40-90 pounds, at 12:30 PM and an antique tractor pull for stock gas tractors (no diesels), from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Pennsylvania FFA chapters that participated in the Antique Tractor Restoration will be recognized in an awards ceremony on January 13 at 3:00 PM on the Lancaster Farming stage in the Expo Hall. New this year, state FFA chapters can compete in the antique tractor pull.

"Pennsylvania is the birthplace of modern haymaking, as well as the modern organic farming movement, and the home of the country's first electrified farms," Redding said. "The first viable mass-produced diesel tractor, built in Hanover, was unveiled at the 1949 Farm Show. In university laboratories, farm shops, and in the hearts of our cities, Pennsylvanians have a history of improving the agriculture industry for their neighbors and the world."

The Pennsylvania Farm Show is the nation's largest indoor agricultural event, featuring 5,200 animals, 12,000 competitive exhibits overall, and 300 commercial exhibitors. The show runs Jan. 6-13 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, except Jan. 7, when it runs 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Jan. 13 when it opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. Admission is free and parking is $15 in Farm Show lots, with free shuttle service provided. The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center is easily accessible from nearby Interstate 81.

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