HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Farm Show is the largest indoor agricultural event in America, attracting thousands of participants and visitors annually from all across the state, including the Penns Valley area.
Competing in numerous equine competitions were Gerald and Melissa Allebach, who own and operate Windermere Farms, located at 3971 Brush Valley Road in Gregg Township. There, they breed, raise and train world-champion class Percheron draft horses.
The Allebachs’ horses have won several world championships, and six years ago Windermere Farms had produced three world champions in a row — a feat never before accomplished by any other farm.
Gerald Allebach said that producing championship caliber horses is a combination of good breeding, training and handling. He said that none of his horses are bred until they have proven themselves to be top-quality show horses.
This year, the Allebachs brought Bentley, their world champion stallion, to the Farm Show. They also showed three of Bentley’s siblings and a mare sired by Bentley, as well as four Belgian horses owned by Lou Biddle, of Oak Hall Farm near Boalsburg.
The Allebachs are planning to have an open house at their farm Sunday, May 14, to acquaint the public with their farm operation. Allebach mentioned that, in addition to raising horses, Windermere Farms has a business selling hay to companies working on restoring former strip mines to their natural state. He grows some of the hay on his 400-acre farm and buys some surplus hay from nearby farmers.
“I get to give them (other farmers) some money, I get to make some money, and I get to help the earth,” he said. “It’s win-win all around.”
Also at the Farm Show were Erskine and Wilhelmina Cash, of Centre Hall, who served up sandwiches at the Pennsylvania Livestock Association’s food court booth. Erskine Cash said the booth, which raises funds for the PLA, is also staffed by members of many agricultural organizations such as 4-H clubs, the Pennsylvania Draft Horse Association, collegiate livestock clubs and others. “The bulk of our money comes from this and membership dues,” said Cash.
PLA president Jana Malot was also working the food booth and explained how funds raised there are used.
“This money is used to support youth groups and livestock activities such as FFA’s 4-H, livestock judging teams and the Penn State Block and Bridle Club,” Malot said. “A lot of them come and work here and we donate to them to go to national conventions. We try to keep the youth involved and promote them into agriculture at the national level.” She noted that the PLA also provides several college scholarships to students enrolled in agricultural and livestock-based curriculum.
