A New Farm Show Tradition?

BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2012!

Many thanks to Scott Doyle and Karen Galle from the PHMC’s Bureau for Historic Preservation for their contributions to this post.

Consider this a sneak peek at PHMC’s annual theme for 2012, The Land of Penn and Plenty—Bringing History to the Table. Throughout the year, we’ll be highlighting programs, exhibits, and tours at Trails of History sites that deal in some way with food and foodways. But to start things off, PHMC’s Bureau for Historic Preservation has designed a Historical Marker Scavenger Hunt for visitors to the 2012 Pennsylvania Farm Show, January 7-14 in Harrisburg. (I’ve always associated the Farm Show with food—almost exclusively—so this seems like the perfect match to me.)

BHP staff have selected historical markers with agricultural themes (many of them directly food-related) and developed a booklet to go with them. Student detectives will answer questions in the booklet by finding repros of the markers scattered around the Farm Show Complex. Those who don’t find all the markers while at the Farm Show will be able to finish their hunt at home by visiting ExplorePAHistory.com, a website that uses historical markers as a starting point for learning about Pennsylvania history (including lesson plans for teachers).

PHMC/Historical Marker Dedication

To start your scavenger hunt, visit PHMC’s Farm Show booth in the Family Living Section of the Main Hall from 9 am to 8 pm (find the butter sculpture and head east). In addition to learning about rural and agricultural life, you’ll also be able to see PHMC’s popular dugout canoe and archaeology exhibit. And just for participating in the scavenger hunt, students will receive a History Detective temporary tattoo!

The 2012 Historical Marker Scavenger Hunt is sponsored by Pennsylvania Cooperative Potato Growers, Inc.; Society of Farm Women of Pennsylvania; PA Civil War 150; witf; Pennsylvania Heritage Society; and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Farm Show.