Premium winners in the Tobacco Division of the Adams County Crop Show included, from left, Preston Sparks, Junior Division Champion, Nolan Newman, Senior Division Champion, Anna Armstrong, Junior Division Reserve Champion, and Molly Bauman, Senior Division Reserve Champion. Also pictured is McKayla Raines, 2017 Adams County Fair Queen.

The Junior Fair Crop Show at the Adams County Fair is a Premium Show. In the past, winners of the Crop Show were able to sell their products – hay, corn, soybeans, small grains, and tobacco – during the Small Animal, Crops, and Baked Goods Sale on Friday night of Fair Week.
However, several years ago the Senior Fair Board voted to limit exhibitors to the sale of only one unit through the Junior Fair sales. This resulted in a down-turn in the number of crop exhibitors, and adult advisors looked to alternatives to help restore the program.
As a result of the efforts of concerned advisors including Roger Rhonemus, Tony Sparks, Angelina Newman, and others, the Crop Show is now a Premium Show, and no crops are sold through the sale. Advisors solicit sponsors, and the funds raised are returned to the exhibitors as premiums during the annual Wednesday Non-Livestock Awards Ceremony. This year, junior and senior division champions received premiums of $150 each and the reserve champions received premiums of $70 each. Overall division grand champions received $100 each. In all, premiums totaling $2,270 were awarded to this year’s crop exhibitors.
Premium sponsors included: Rhonemus Farms, Adams County Farm Bureau, Sparks Farm, Raines Farm, Nathan and Sherry Cluxton, Adams County Rural Electric, RM Armstrong Crop Insurance LLC, Bio Gene Company, and Turkey Run Angus Farm. The support of these sponsors makes the premium show system work, and it is anticipated the more youth will participate and complete crops projects in future years as they become more familiar with the system.