HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — The Secretary of Agriculture, Russell Redding announced Wednesday morning that the in-person 2021 Pennsylvania Farm Show will be canceled due to coronavirus.

The show will be held virtually during the originally scheduled dates from January 9-17. The department announced the theme for the 2021 virtual PA Farm Show to be Cultivating Tomorrow. Details of the virtual show will be announced as they unfold over the coming weeks. 

“There are times in the life of a farmer when the risks are too great or uncertain, requiring farmers to make the tough decision to leave a field fallow,” said Redding. “To protect our assets – both our people and our resources – from incalculable losses, we have made the tough decision to take a year to lie in fallow. Rather than an in-person Farm Show, we will celebrate Pennsylvania agriculture virtually for 2021 as we prepare for a productive future.

“We’ll look at our strengths and where we need to invest together in order to grow and cultivate for tomorrow. We’ll consider what has become crystal clear during the pandemic – that agriculture is essential for life; our people are resilient and innovative. We will focus on agricultural awareness, education, and literacy while highlighting the interconnectedness of our food chain,” added Redding.

Secretary Redding said they are looking to see what they can do to have some type of food court offerings and what can happen virtually in terms of sale of livestock and 4H kids shows.

Virtual events will be focused on education and awareness for both the general public and the agriculture industry. Any competitive ag events that are held virtually will not require the purchase of an animal.

For information as it relates to agriculture during COVID-19 mitigation in Pennsylvania visit agriculture.pa.gov/COVID.

Dave Smith, executive director of the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association, issued the statement below today on the decision for the Farm Show to go digital.