The Pennsylvania Farm Show features more than 6,000 animals and many of them were reared and are being exhibited by people not long out of high school. For many visitors to the farm show, meeting the newest crop of farmers is as exciting as checking out their animals.
Jon Kubala, a 21-year-old from Adams County, sits calmly on the hindquarters of a huge Texas longhorn steer. It only looks dangerous to an outsider but not to the human who knows the animal best.
“They’re very docile animals. They’re really easy to get along with, and easy going and just gentle giants,” said Kubala.
Kubala started raising this steer when he was fifteen. Blue Ridge Buckshot – Buck for short – has been grand champion four years in a row.
“My little brother helps. He’s just starting to get into it a little bit now, too. So he’s 16 years old and been getting into it for a little bit,” said Kubala. “My dad’s actually a veterinarian out in Littlestown. So we’ve grown up rescuing horses and pretty much everything you can think of we’ve had going through our house.”
Not just for the guys
18-year-old Lindsey Zeigler of Adams County will be at the Farm Show all week showing a lamb, a pig, and a deep brown Hereford heifer.
“ We grew up on farm life since I was little, and it just always interested me,” said Zeigler
21-year old Brett Torres, of Beaver County, was sitting by his livestock on the opening day of the show but says it’s not all about relaxing at the show. “[My animals] are laying down, so it’s not as if there’s much to do with these animals. We’ve already done what we had to do in the morning, and now they’re being lazy so we can be lazy,” he said.
