The power of Lebanon County’s people was on full display on the first day of the 109th edition of the Pennsylvania Farm Show.
From the Pennsylvania FFA Association and Pennsylvania State Fair Queen program to local agri-businesses selling their wares, Lebanon countians were a living testament to the show’s theme, titled “Powering Pennsylvania.”
The Farm Show’s opening ceremony featured 22-year-old Newmanstown resident Alona Buzey singing the National Anthem before federal and state officials, agricultural business leaders, farmers and the media.
Buzey was selected to sing after her video was one of 20 selected from 40 entries in the “Oh Say, Can You Sing?” contest.
The videos from the 20 finalists were placed on YouTube so the public could vote for their favorite performers singing their a cappella version of the anthem. From those 20, the top 12 were asked to perform at this year’s Farm Show.
“I don’t know why I was selected, but I definitely feel very honored and blessed,” said Buzey. “I’m not exactly sure what the (selection) criteria for it is, but I’m not complaining. I’m just happy to be here.”
Buzey said her sister Vanessa, who serves as the “manager” of Alona’s blossoming singing career, encouraged her to enter the competition.
“I actually had no idea about this (competition),” said Buzey. “My sister is the one that sent me the link. She works at the Capitol so she’s always getting like all the latest emails and whatever. And at first I was like, ‘I don’t know if it’s something that’s realistic for me.’ And it was actually the last day, the due date is when I actually ended up submitting my video.”
LebTown asked Alona why she thought she was selected for the high-profile performance during the opening ceremony. She didn’t know the answer to that question, but added with a laugh that the query was making her nervous.
Buzey laughed because she’s actually used to performing in front of audiences, including at church, which is where she developed a passion for singing, and more recently at various local gigs she’s obtained to showcase her vocal talents and develop her fledgling musical career.
After her performance, she admitted to being nervous but added she calmed herself by tightly gripping the lectern. Her nervousness, however, wasn’t apparent in her voice.
Russell Redding, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture secretary, commented near the beginning of his remarks about Buzey’s riveting performance.
“Thank you for sharing your voice,” said Redding. “I mean, the power of a voice in this Farm Show complex (is) … probably the only thing that brings us to a pause.”
Redding highlighted the many ways Pennsylvania is powered – especially by its people.
“On behalf of Governor Shapiro, thank you for being here and being part of the Farm Show, being part of the industry of agriculture that we have a chance, with the state-sponsored show, to come together every year and recognize both the importance of it, and to celebrate the people in it. And as noted by our speakers, the power of it,” he said.
Pennsylvanians are the commonwealth’s greatest source of power, he said – especially its young people.
On Monday, the Shapiro administration announced $500,000 in grants to prepare Pennsylvania students for career success in the agriculture industry, including a $7,500 grant to Cedar Crest High School for welding gear and lab tools.
At that announcement, Pennsylvania FFA president Chloe Bomgardner of Jonestown was asked to speak on behalf of Pennsylvania’s agricultural youth as a representative of the statewide organization.
Bomgardner also presided over the annual Pennsylvania FFA Convention, which was held on the Monday – one of her many duties throughout Farm Show week as FFA state president.
“We show up at press conferences, we’ll show up at ceremonies, different hearings such as one that we’ll be at today with Congressman G.T. Thompson,” she said. “The most important part about the FFA officers this week is the midwinter convention. We do our Keystone recipients, we’ll do our jacket scholarships, we’ll recognize parents. So we, as state officers, put on an entire conference and convention in the large arena on Monday.”
Bomgardner is midway through her one-year history-making term as president of the statewide organization. Bomgardner’s sister Crystal was the state FFA president last year, and the siblings are the first two to serve consecutive terms in that capacity.
Read More: Bomgardner sisters achieve FFA state record, set sights on national convention
Chloe noted she also served on the FFA scholarship selection committee, adding those recipients would be announced at the convention. “I got to be a part of the selection process, and that obviously did mean a lot to me,” she said.
In an interesting twist, the two sisters switched roles this year. Crystal is serving on the Farm Show’s junior advisory committee, a role held by Chloe last year.
“We are boots on the ground, just helping every stand that needs it, running things here and there, picking up trash, representing the Farm Show Committee as the junior members, and doing whatever people need us to do,” said Crystal. “We’re the man on the job.”
Crystal was one of 21 individuals who was selected to serve as a junior committee member in 2025 – up from the 12 to 15 that served last year.
“They expanded it just due to the sheer number of applicants that they had, and also because the need in the Farm Show building is huge. It’s a big place and we need a lot of hands,” she said.
Crystal added she’s valued this learning experience.
“I love agriculture and I want to hopefully represent that on an executive lawmaking level someday and just be a voice for Pennsylvania agriculture, especially those small family farms,” she said, “and I feel like this is a great way to kind of bridge the gap between Pennsylvania’s youth and agriculture and just learn a little bit more about the Farm Show itself and about the different commodities that they represent here.”
Lebanon Area Fair Queen Brooke Beamesderfer was afforded the opportunity to promote the state fair queen program to Farm Show guests on opening day. She spoke to LebTown prior to her afternoon shift.
Read More: 2024 Lebanon Area Fair Queen and the fair’s first Princess crowned
“The PA Association of Fairs has a stand this year, it’s brand new this year and they’re just asking all of the county fair queens throughout the state to sign up for a shift,” said Beamesderfer. “There’s two or three of us and then it’s just our job to promote not only our fair but just county fairs in general throughout the state of Pennsylvania.”
The goal is to educate guests about the over 100-plus local fairs across the commonwealth.
“We have a little crown coloring activity for the young girls and also just for other people who are interested, we’ll have pamphlets and we can show them on the map where certain fairs are located in Pennsylvania,” added Beamesderfer.
Check out other Lebanon County connections to the Pennsylvania Farm Show here.
Read More: LebTown photo gallery from the 2025 Pennsylvania Farm Show
If you go…
The 2025 Farm Show highlights include the 1,000-pound butter sculpture, delicious Farm Show food, thousands of competitive agricultural events, homegrown cooking demonstrations at the PA Preferred Culinary Connection, and more than one million square feet of hands-on agriculture education opportunities and chances to engage with the people who power Pennsylvania through agriculture.
The 2025 Pennsylvania Farm Show runs through Saturday, Jan. 11, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg. Admission is free. Parking is $15 per vehicle.
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