Attendees and vendors grateful for 2021 Keystone Farm Show

by Courtney Llewellyn

There’s nothing quite like face-to-face connection, and that’s what the 2021 Keystone Farm Show safely provided both vendors and attendees this January.

“Farm shows are a vital part of our marketing and customer relations strategy here at Pik Rite,” said Randall Stratton, marketing coordinator for Pik Rite Inc., based in Lewisburg, PA. “It allows our customers to see our products in-person and learn about what we have to offer. We sell higher ticket products, so customers like to spend the time to look over the equipment and learn the details of how it would apply to their situation before making a purchase.”

Taking place Jan. 5-7 at the York Fairgrounds in York, PA, the show is organized by Lee Trade Shows, a

part of Lee Newspapers, publishers of Country Folks. Thousands of attendees were welcomed over the three days of the show.

“I had great conversations with attendees as well as vendors and the common theme was ‘It almost feels back to normal,’” said Bruce Button, vice president of Lee Newspapers. “There was a buzz of activity in each of the four buildings as attendees were meeting with our 350 exhibiting companies.”

Attendees and exhibitors came from all over the Eastern U.S., since this was the only farm show taking place this winter. Lee Trade Shows is already planning for a huge show in 2022 and will again be combining agricultural vendors with construction vendors. They’re also working on Empire Farm Days, a New York institution for more than 60 years. This event is the summer show for the Northeast ag market, scheduled for the first week of August just outside of Syracuse, NY.

“After such a trying year, being able to come to York and visit with the exhibitors and see them interacting with farmers, contractors and landscapers and helping them find solutions for their operations was huge,” Country Folks Sales Manager Ian Hitchener noted. “Hearing ‘thank you’ for having this event was a topic of many conversations. I would just like to say to all exhibitors and attendees thank you for supporting the show and making it happen.”

The gratitude was felt on both sides. “We were thrilled that the team at Lee Newspapers jumped through the hoops to put on the Keystone Farm Show this year. It was important to us to resume as much safe in-person contact as we could with our customers, given the challenges we all faced in 2020,” Stratton said. “The Keystone Farm Show team provided the perfect platform for that. We were pleased with the quality of the contacts we were able to make at the show this year, and are optimistic about the future.”