75 years on, Butler Farm Show hasn’t outgrown its traditions
The growth of the Butler Farm Show over its 75 years surprised one of its founders.
Discussing the show in the days leading up to it, Ken Metrick, farm show secretary, recalled one of his last conversations with LeeRoy Miller, the last surviving founder of the Butler Farm Show. He died in 2006.
Metrick said he took Miller around in a golf cart during the 2004 show, when Miller was in his 90s.
The two marveled at the show as they drove around. Metrick turned to Miller and asked, “Did you ever think it would be like this?”
“And he said, ‘Boy, l tell you what, I never thought it would ever be like this,’” Metrick recalled.
What started out as a plowing contest in 1947 has evolved into an annual Butler favorite that has spanned more than seven decades.
And while much has changed over the 75 years since its inception, the show’s theme remains the same, said Ken Laughlin, president of the Butler Farm Show.
“It’s right there in our mission statement,” Laughlin said. “We are family oriented and we want to continue educating people on farm life.”
In 1948, founders approved a farm show constitution and bylaws to support Butler County children through 4-H clubs and the Vocational Agricultural Division of the Future Farmers Association.
According to the farm show’s website, the bylaws were created in part to “ensure that no one person or group could ever gain complete control or benefit financially from the Farm Show.”
Laughlin, who has served on the farm show’s board for 31 years, 11 years as president, has been a part of the show’s evolution.
“We’ve grown a lot,” Laughlin said. “We’re a nonprofit, so everything we make goes back into improving the Farm Show.”
Several buildings constructed over the years have demonstrated that effort.
In 1956, the show added an agricultural building with 12,000 square feet of indoor space for exhibits. Two years later, three permanent barns were added, which are now being used for the dairy exhibit.
In 1984, the show added a beef barn, and it also was the first year for the American Heritage showcase, which has grown to be “one of the largest displays of antique tractors, farm equipment and other items of yesteryear at any Western PA fair,” according to history written by Miller, the show’s archivist.
Other improvements throughout the show’s history have included a beautification of the main entrance and building a horse show arena and two exhibit halls.
This year improvements include a new roof on the Fairground Market restaurant and renovation of the farm and home products building.
Amy Metrick, a 4-H educator, has been at the farm show since she was 8 months old.
“I’ve always been there with my dad on the board,” Metrick said, “I’ve grown up with sheep, pigs and vegetables. It’s a big family thing. We’ve all participated in the show in one way or another.”
Like Laughlin, Metrick said that educating the public about farms remains a major goal of the show despite the need to change with the times.
“(The show) hasn’t lost sight of how the farm show got started,” Metrick said.
Like the farm show, 4-H has seen changes, such sponsoring children's’ programs for skills including robotics. The rudimentary goals of the 4-H presence at the farm show remains timeless, however.
“We’re all about growing great kids,” Metrick said. “The farm show is a great place to do that. Kids can talk to the public with an agriculture focus, which is an important part of us at 4-H. ”
“It’s (also) a good learning experience,” Metrick said. “It’s a great way for kids to hone their speaking skills. They can show off the various things they’ve worked hard on, talk to the public about it and, of course, try to get those blue ribbons.”
Other than in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, the farm show has found a way to continue.
“Rain, shine, heat and mud — the show still goes on,” Laughlin said. “The board of directors are very innovative in how they get things done.”
