By Matt Morgan
ROCK SPRINGS — Barry Stillman traveled
more than 160 miles to visit family in Centre County and attend the final day
of Ag Progress Days.
The three-day event sponsored by Penn State
is designed to spotlight technological advancements in agricultural equipment
and techniques, and connect residents with the farming community.
Stillman, of Mitchell, Md., attending
Thursday for the first time and was immediately drawn to the loud engine noises
of the antique tractor pull.
This was his first tractor pull in 20 years,
but he said the memories came flooding back.
“It’s fun because I’m into high-performance
cars and seeing it on the tractor end is pretty neat,” Stillman said.
Farther up Main Street at the Russell E.
Larson Agricultural Research Center, spectators were watching a different
sort of pull.
No loud engines or smoke accompanied the
miniature horse show, but onlookers including Tom Hughes were treated to the
small animals jumping over hurdles and pulling carts carrying their
owners.
Hughes, of State College, has been attending
Ag Progress Days on and off since the event’s inception 44 years ago.
He was watching the horses with his granddaughters,
but said the animals aren’t the only interesting feature of the expo.
“It does a good job of covering agriculture
from A to Z in the state, which is pretty impressive,” he said.
Even with new advancements in farming
technology around every corner, Ag Progress offers a throwback to the roots of
the trade.
The Pasto Agricultural Museum features
farming tools from the era before electricity and engines to give spectators an
idea of the farming process before the high-tech machinery, curator Rita Graef
said.
“You’ll find not just old farm and household
objects,” she said of the museum. “You’ll find stories that bring them to
life.”
The museum is also open every Sunday after
football games and will feature extensive exhibits on various antique
agricultural themes, Graef said.
Original Article Here
No comments:
Post a Comment