A friendly rivalry took center stage at the Pennsylvania Farm Show as Military Appreciation Day featured a head-to-head Army vs. Navy cookoff highlighting Pennsylvania-grown ingredients and the connection between agriculture and military service.
The culinary competition unfolded at the PA Preferred Culinary Connection Stage, where Army Sgt. Nicolas Adame and Navy Culinary Specialist Second Class Jonathan Ortiz prepared dishes using products sourced from across the Commonwealth. The event drew veterans, military families and Farm Show visitors, adding a festive note to a day devoted to honoring service members past and present.
Judges included former White House chef John Moeller, Barry Crumlich, executive chef of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence, Pennsylvania Adjutant General Maj. Gen. John Pippy, and Maj. Gen. Terrence L. Koudelka Jr., deputy adjutant general for air and commander of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. After sampling the entries, the panel declared the Army the winner, prompting cheers from the crowd and good-natured ribbing between branches.
The cookoff was part of a broader slate of Military Appreciation Day activities at the 110th Farm Show. State officials recognized veterans and active-duty members for their contributions to agriculture and rural communities, including the presentation of the newly established Pennsylvania Veteran Ag Entrepreneurship Award to George Lake of Thistle Creek Farms in Huntingdon County. Lake, a 30-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was cited for building a regenerative, pasture-based livestock operation and mentoring fellow farmers, particularly veterans entering agriculture.
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding also announced that $300,000 will be available in the next round of the Veterans in Agriculture Grant Program, which provides mini-grants to help veterans start or expand farm operations and agribusinesses. Applications will be accepted from Jan. 30 through March 13, 2026.
Throughout the complex, Military Appreciation Day included recognition events, discounts, information on veteran-focused agricultural resources and family-friendly programming. One popular attraction paired visitors with puppies during a fundraising event supporting Dog T.A.G.S., a nonprofit that trains service dogs for veterans.
Source: pa.gov