Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced today that Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry will be celebrated virtually for the 2021 PA Farm Show, with no in-person events or competitions, to mitigate against COVID-19.


“There are times in the life of a farmer when the risks are too great or uncertain, requiring farmers to make the tough decision to leave a field fallow,” said Redding. “To protect our assets – both our people and our resources – from incalculable losses, we have made the tough decision to take a year to lie in fallow. Rather than an in-person Farm Show, we will celebrate Pennsylvania agriculture virtually for 2021 as we prepare for a productive future.

“We’ll look at our strengths and where we need to invest together in order to grow and cultivate for tomorrow. We’ll consider what has become crystal clear during the pandemic – that agriculture is essential for life; our people are resilient and innovative. We will focus on agricultural awareness, education, and literacy while highlighting the interconnectedness of our food chain,” added Redding.

The department announced the theme for the 2021 virtual PA Farm Show to be Cultivating Tomorrow. Details of the virtual show will be announced as they unfold over the coming weeks. Virtual events will be focused on education and awareness for both the general public and the agriculture industry. Any competitive ag events that are held virtually will not require the purchase of an animal.

“Each year, the Pennsylvania Farm Show uses a theme to convey our vision for the future of Pennsylvania agriculture – through Cultivating Tomorrow we’ll tell this story through technology as we envision and cultivate a prosperous, thriving future together,” said Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex Executive Director Sharon Myers. “We have not lost sight of what this industry means to Pennsylvania, in fact, this pandemic has highlighted our reliance on it. The show will go on, just as agriculture has persevered.”
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For information as it relates to agriculture during COVID-19 mitigation in Pennsylvania visit agriculture.pa.gov/COVID. To stay up to date on PA Farm Show news and updates on the virtual show, visit farmshow.pa.gov or follow the Pennsylvania Farm Show on Facebook and Instagram.

by Rusty W. Mitchum
The creatures are comin’ out of the woodwork again. Of course, I’m talkin’ about phone creatures. You know, those telemarketers that disturb your supper, or worse, your TV watchin’. Anywho, I got a call from one the other night.
“Yellow,” I said. I didn’t get an answer. “Yellow!” I said louder.”
“Mr. Mitchum?” the creature asked.
“Yes,” I said really slow like.
“Hello, Mr. Mitchum. My name is Molly Sipes.”
“Hello Molly,” I said still talkin’ really slow. “How’s your Mom an’ nem?”
“Sir?”
“And how’s that ol’ outlaw of a daddy of yours? He doin’ alright?”
“Uh, no Sir, Mr. Mitchum, you must be confused.”
“Me confused? Naw. That’s just a rumor my kids started. They tryin’ to get me in a home, you know. But I ain’t agoin’.”
“Mr. Mitchum, maybe there is someone else there I can talk to.”
“’Fraid not Molly. It’s just me. I lost maw, you know.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, but I really need…”
“Yep,” I sniffed. “Turned her loose at the mall and I ain’t seen her since. I think she mighta run off with the meter reader.”
“Mr. Mitchum,” the creature pleaded.
“Handsome devil, that meter reader,” I said. “I should’ve knowd somethin’ was goin’ on. Heck, he came by to read that blame meter twice a week.”
“Mr. Mitchum.”
“By the way,” I said. “My nephew Wally’s not with us anymore.”
“Is that right?” sighed the creature.
“Yep,” I said sadly. “If you remember, he was the one that was always pickin’ his nose. Oh, we tried to get him to stop, but it didn’t do no good. He finally picked it so much, his head caved in.”
“Do what?” the creature said.
“We stuck an air hose up his nose and pumped and pumped and tried to get his head to pop back out, but it didn’t work.”
“Oh, I can’t believe…”
“It mighta worked, but we couldn’t get a good seal. One of his eyeballs kept poppin’ out.”
“Oh my gosh,” said the creature.
“We’d poke it back in, and it’d pop right back out.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Naw, I’m not kiddin’,” I said. “We sent ‘em off to live up in the mountains with Grandma Edna. “I would’ve let him stay here, but Maw said she couldn’t stand lookin’ at him. Plus, every time he belched that eye’d pop out.”
“Ugh,” said the creature.
“He was pretty talented, you know. He got to where he would whistle through his nose kinda purdy like. You ain’t lived till you’ve heard Danny Boy whistled through a nostril. It’d bring a tear to a glass eye.”
“Uh, yes Sir,” said the creature. “Look,” she said. “It’s been interesting talking to you, but I’ve got to go.”
“Okay Molly,” I said. “Tell your Daddy I hope he gits to feelin’ better. If you’re ever down this way, drop in.”
“You can count on it,” she said sarcastically and hung up.
This is the time I usually turn to find my wife Janet starin’ at me. Well not this time. Nope, she was in the room the whole time I was talkin’ to the creature. I had been lookin’ at her the whole time. Usually, she’ll leave the room, but not this time. You know, the entire time I was on the phone, she never once smiled.
“What?” I said as I hung up.
“Rusty,” she said. “You know, you’re just not right.”
Ha! Like I’ve never heard that before.

Fishing Memories – Part I
I have been very fortunate to have met some fine outdoor folks in my 74 ½ years on this earth.  For the next several columns, my reflections on some of them.

Rory O’Donnell – Wonderful young man and my sometimes trout fly fishing buddy on Loyalsock creek in the l970’s.  Son of Fred and Trannie of the Loyalsock Township section of Williamsport, he died tragically in an industrial accident at the age of about 20.  You do not forget your friends who die young.

Rory was addicted to fly fishing a few stretches of Loyalsock Creek that other fly fishing anglers did also.  These stretches were ideal for casting flies; and they were easily waded with a bit of caution.

I arrived at a stretch of the “Sock” one day in May in early afternoon.  It was a great time of day for mayfly, caddis and stonefly hatches.  I parked my car and headed to the stream right along the road.  Rory saw me and yelled “tie on a size 14 Adams dry fly Jim.”  What a great piece of advice.  I hooked and landed many trout that afternoon.  It is rare that you get advice of a fellow angler before you start fishing on what fly and size to use.   It is like being in a private box for a stage show.  That one day stands out to me every time I think fondly of Rory.  If you are an angler, you will certainly understand.

Young Rory will always be a pleasant memory to me.
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Get out and enjoy God’s nature.  He designed it for all of us.

by Rusty W. Mitchum
Have you read that book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus? You haven’t? Well, to tell you the truth, I haven’t either, but my wife Janet has. You men out there listen up. Go out and buy your wife that book. Why? Well, I’ll tell you why. That book is an excuse for every idiotic thing you’ve ever done. Right after Janet read that book, she’d make comments like; “Oh, I know why you did that. It’s in the book.” Then she’d smile at me like I was a little kid or something, pat me on the head, and then leave me the heck alone. I don’t know if it was a man or woman that wrote that book, but they ought to have won the Pulitzer Prize.

Now I’m pretty sure the book tells stuff on women, too, but I’ve already got them pretty well figured out. If I wrote that book on the subject of men and women, it would be titled; Men are Rifles, Women are Shotguns. I’ll explain further.

I remember one night several years ago, my daughter Michelle called. As she spoke to me, it was clear that she wasn’t just sittin’ in a chair carrying on a conversation with her daddy. I could tell she was doin’ somethin’ else.

by Janet Mitchum
(I was asked to rerun one of Janet’s stories, so here it is. This was written nearly 17 years ago. Can you believe she still puts up with me?)


There are a few things I need to get off my chest; Rusty, for one. He is about to drive me crazy, or should I say crazier.


When he’s out of town, one part of me misses him, and another is glad he’s out of my hair. At least when he’s gone, I can get the house clean. Rusty can walk into a perfectly clean house, and in a matter of seconds, no, nanoseconds, the place looks like it’s been hit by a cyclone. He’s sort of like that child named Pig Pen in the Peanuts comic strip. He’s worse than a teenager. He drops clothes, bags, papers, and anything else he is holding. And if I move whatever it is he dropped, and he comes looking for it, well then he tears up the rest of the house looking for it. He could not find his head, if it were not attached. When he walks out the door, it takes about ten minutes for all the pictures on the walls to stop swinging.

July was a great month, a busy one, despite several planned promotional events that had to cancel, I still made all efforts to promote and surprise individuals with ice cream treats.


For those that do not know me, my name is Katelyn Taylor. I am serving as the 2020-2021 Lycoming County Dairy Princess. I love what I do but I only have until May 2021, so I sure hope our paths cross, as time is swirling by just like an ice cream treat!


As a determined promoter, I offered alternative options and delivered DAIRY-licious ice cream surprises and countless milkshakes.

by Rusty Mitchum
I’m sorry, but I’m gonna make you read an old one again. A pretty lady asked me about this one last week, so I thought I’d rerun it for her.


Well, guess what? I got a call the other day from a Phone Creature. I thought that they must have taken me off of their list, or somethin’, ‘cause I hadn’t gotten a call from one of them for a while. I was getttin’ kind of worried, ‘cause I so look forward to talkin’ to them.


Phone Creatures, for you folks out there who have not read this junk I write before, are what I call those telephone solicitors who call tryin’ to sell you somethin’. A lot of people will just hang up on them, but I think that’s rude. Plus, it’s no fun. I’d rather have some fun with them at their expense. I know, that sounds even ruder, but heck, like Popeye says, “I yam what I yam.”


Anywho, the phone rang.


“Yellow,” I said into the receiver. It was silent on the other end. “Yellow!” I said louder. Then I heard that click that tells you it’s a Phone Creature. Let the games begin.

Night Fishing for Trout & Bass – Part III
Night fishing for trout is quite unlike night fishing for bass in some but not all respects.  We will cover some tried and true methods for catching or at least enticing a strike.   I state that since many strikes are not hookups at night; no one really knows why.  That fact makes night fishing so intriguing.


We will discuss methods for fishing for trout at night in streams.  The first requirement is water temperature.  Most streams get warmer as summer progresses.  Trout cannot survive when the water temperatures exceed 70 degrees.  Actually 68 degrees is more correct.

photo provided
A great crew of Lions met again last Thursday to do their cleanup and maintenance of the walkway between downtown Troy and Alparon Park. Thanks to everyone who came out, it looks great!

by Rusty W. Mitchum
I was talkin’ to a man the other day, and he told me that he could remember every whippin’ he ever got when he was a kid. Well, I told him that he must not have gotten too many whippin’s then. There’s no way I can remember how many whippin’s I got when I was a kid. In fact, there was one year that I’m pretty sure a day didn’t go by that I didn’t get one.


Whippin’s, for you young’uns out there, is what parents used to do to keep their kids in line. There were different kinds of whippin’s, too. There was spankin’, and paddlin’, and switchin’, and the worst kind in my opinion, the belt. That’s right, a belt.


Now, a spankin’ basically was being slapped on the rear end with the hand. We always considered this sissy whippin’s, and were mainly used on little bitty kids and girls. Oh, every once in a while a momma might pop her son on the bottom with her hand if he was actin’ up in the grocery store or something, but if they were at home she’d get somethin’ a little more lethal.