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HARRISBURG -- Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding celebrated the best of American dairy breeding and management skills Sept. 16 at the All-American Dairy Show and Premier National Jr. Show. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's PA Farm Show Complex and Expo Center hosts the annual show, featuring more than 1,000 top adult and youth competitors in dairy cattle breeding and animal care from across the U.S. and Canada.
The event comes on the heels of the single largest investment in agriculture in Pennsylvania history -- $1.2 billion to establish Chobani's first dairy operation in the Commonwealth, creating 900 jobs and increasing future demand for Pennsylvania milk by 30 percent. Supporting the annual showcase for industry excellence is among Pennsylvania's investments in innovation, workforce, and economic development helping the Commonwealth compete and setting the stage for future growth.
"Pennsylvania is proud of our hardworking dairy farm families and the sacrifices and ingenuity they demonstrate to produce top-quality, nutritious products every day, all year long," Redding said. "The Commonwealth joins our proud dairy families in hosting their peers from across the nation to showcase excellence in dairy breeding and animal husbandry demonstrated by the best in the business today and by youth aspiring to fill their shoes tomorrow."
The dairy show features 21 dairy cattle contests and the finest of seven dairy cattle breeds. The show's youth dairy management, showmanship, and judging competitions sharpen the skills of tomorrow's dairy producers and attract high school FFA chapters and collegiate teams from across the country.
Pennsylvania's bipartisan 2026-27 budget included robust investments in the state's dairy industry, including $215,000 for the All-American Dairy Show, $169,000 for youth livestock shows, $1.45 million for the Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence, and continued investment in buy-local promotions including PA Preferred and Scooped: An Ice Cream Trail that introduce visitors to dairy families and their delicious products at creameries across the state.
"Increasing demand for Pennsylvania milk by 30% will do more to increase prices paid to farmers for milk than any of the pricing reforms the industry has been seeking for over a decade," Sec. Redding continued. "Looking at what our industry needs now, and down the road, then investing to support those needs and spur private investment is the right recipe for growth."