2012 Will be the Largest Farm Show Yet

Montpelier, Vermont – As Vermont’s agricultural economy has grown, so has the annual Farm Show. The 2012 Farm Show, which runs from January 24th-26th, is slated to be the largest in the show’s seventy-eight year history. To accommodate this growth, the popular event is relocating from the Barre Civic Center to its new location at the Champlain Valley Expo Center in Essex Junction.

The Barre Civic Center hosted the Farm Show for six decades. The show originated in Burlington, where for many years it resided at the Memorial Auditorium.

“This move reflects the fact that the agricultural community in Vermont continues to thrive and grow. The Farm Show has had a great run in Barre over the years, but as the show has expanded and evolved, it has physically outgrown the Civic Center,” said Chuck Ross, Secretary of the Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets. “The Champlain Expo Center is much larger and has free parking. It is an ideal facility to host this very popular Vermont tradition.”

The Farm Show is Vermont’s largest agricultural showcase. For agriculture professionals, it is an opportunity to meet with vendors, preview products and machinery, attend trade association meetings, and network within the farm community.

The show also holds wide appeal for the general public. From barnyard animals to John Deere tractors, there’s plenty to keep families entertained.

This year Consumer night will be held Wednesday, January 25th. Show hours will be extended until 8 p.m. that evening. Food enthusiasts will enjoy the all-new Buy Local Market, which will showcase foods and products from Vermont farms. The evening will also feature a new Iron Chef-type competition called “The Capital Cook-off,” in which teams from the Vermont House of Representatives, Senate, and Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets will face off in a battle of culinary skills. Teams will have ninety minutes to create a dish using Vermont products bought at the Buy Local Market.

“We are looking forward to re-invigorating Consumer Night with the addition of the Buy Local Market and the Capital Cook-off,” said Jackie Folsom, Farm Show Trustee. “It’s going to be such a fun event!”