2027 Farm Show Committee Chair Instructions and Deadlines

We look forward to working with you for the quickly approaching 2027 Pennsylvania Farm Show, taking place January 9-16, 2027.

Please:

Recruit your respective committees.
Continue finding cost-effective ways to support the show.
Follow the submission deadlines and instructions below to enter and maintain your committee’s information in the database.

Upcoming Information Session

Topic: Farm Show Chair Check-In: Key Dates and Next Steps
Hosted by: Amber Yutzy & Geremy Kephart
Date: October 27, 2026
Time: 7:00 pm

Zoom Link: https://psu.zoom.us/j/96222577413?from=addon

Important Dates

** The new 2027 Travel Form with the correct Per Diem rates and Mileage will be available after January 1^st. Continue to check the website for the updated 2027 form.**

Friday, November 13 - Update Committee Database- Name Tags & Parking Pass Request
Friday, December 4 - Committees Approved for Lodging- Hotel Reservations due
Friday, December 11 - Proof Hotel Lodging list from the hotel
Friday, February 26 - Submit Completed Travel Worksheets/Non-employee forms
Friday, March 12 – Last day for Processing Financial Reimbursement for Farm Show

Submission Deadlines and Instructions

Farm Show Committee Website and Database Access

Website: https://agsci.psu.edu/farmshow/volunteers

Login Instructions:

Select Committee Chair Database
Type in your First/ Last Name, select Submit
Type in FS2027PSU, select Login
You will be prompted to change your password, select change your password
Enter current password FS2027PSU, enter your new password, and follow prompts

** A new Travel Worksheet Form with correct 2027 per diem rates and mileage will be available at the beginning of January. Please continue to check the website for updates and select: Worker Information for forms

November 13, 2026 (Friday): Update the Committee Database

Update the Committee Database:

Complete: Name, address, phone, and email addresses for volunteers
Volunteer email addresses need to be entered so they can receive all communications, including updates on their reimbursement processing
Parking pass and name tag requests (mark within each member record)
Delete records of committee members no longer participating.

Note: The system auto-deleted inactive records from last year. Re-enter volunteers if needed.

To Update Existing Members:

Select List Members by Name
Review and edit each record as needed
Delete inactive members

To Add a New Member:

Select Add Member.
Enter all required details (including working dates).
Click Add Member to verify that the data was saved.

For Complimentary Parking Passes:

Mark each individual record in the database for a complimentary weekly parking
The Farm Show Office will mail these directly to each committee
Additional parking permits can be purchased on-site with a credit card at the gate. These are not reimbursable, as one complimentary permit is already provided.
It will be at the discretion of the Executive Director of the Farm Show to determine requests for McClay Street and Handicap (HC) permits

For Name Tags:

Mark your committee in the database for name tag
Nametags will be printed from database records and available for pickup at the Farm Show Administrative Office upon arrival.

December 4, 2026 (Friday) – Hotel Reservations Due

Committees Approved for Lodging:

Enter all lodging lists for the Sheraton Hershey hotel via the "Email Lodging List" feature in the database
Include your committee's name and contact

** If you have volunteers under the age of 21**

Submit their names and committee to Lisa.Chenoweth@marriott.com
There must be a chaperone present for anyone under the age of 21 to check in at the front desk.

Emailing Lodging Lists to the Hotel

From the Main Menu
Choose List Members by Room to review assignments
Select "Click Here" to Email Lodging List to the Hotel
Complete the required fields (name, phone, email).
Click Send—your list goes directly to Lisa Chenoweth (hotel contact).
You'll receive a copy of the email.
The hotel will send confirmation numbers for each member after assignments.
Proof these confirmation lists carefully.

To Add Lodging Information:

On the List Members by Name verification screen, click on the person's name
Select: Add Lodging Info.
Enter:

- Arrival date (circle under the date = "A")
- Departure date ("D" = checkout day, no lodging needed)
- Assign a room letter (A–ZZ) for each member requiring housing
- Click Add Lodging Record to submit

Shared Rooms:

Assign the same room letter to all individuals sharing a room.

Multiple Arrival/Departure Dates:

Use Add Another Lodging Record for additional stays (same member).
Only reuse the same room letter if multiple people share that room over time

Proofing Details

Select Member Detail to proof information
"A" = Arrival date; "D" = Departure
Click Edit to make changes

December 11, 2026 (Friday) - Proof Hotel List from Hotel

Double-check with ALL Committee members on Hotel Reservations
** No Shows will be charged for their rooms

Proof hotel rooming list confirmation emails from the hotel.
All changes/corrections after December 14^th, send directly to the hotel via email to Lisa.Chenoweth@marriott.com to ensure Lisa receives the change, do not call the hotel directly
Do not resubmit full lists—send only the corrections.
Update your volunteer database to match the hotel's confirmed records.

Hotel Cancellations or Changes

Email: Lisa.Chenoweth@marriott.com Phone: 717-558-4607
Include your name, committee name, and detailed request
Update the committee database, but do not resend your full list.
Cancellations must be made 72 hours prior to check-in to avoid charges.

Hotel Information

Sheraton Harrisburg–Hershey
4650 Lindle Road, Harrisburg, PA 17111
Phone: 717-564-5511

Directions: Exit 2, Swatara, off Route 283

Check-in: 4:00 PM
Check-out: 11:00 AM

Hotel Policies:
Non-smoking policy (violations result in financial penalties).
A personal credit card is required at check-in to cover any incidental charges not covered by the master account (room and tax only).

February 26, 2027 (Friday)- Submit completed Travel Forms

Website (Select Worker Information)

Submit Completed Travel Worksheet Forms and Non-Employee Information Form.

Before Submission:

Verify all member details (name, address, email, lodging info, ).
Confirm accuracy of the travel worksheet form
Include committee name, budget number, chair signature, and date
Budget information can be found under "List Members by Name" in the database at the top

Chairperson:

Complete the total amount under PDA Grant Internal Order #590xxxxxx.
(Section 4 on Travel form)

Sign off on each member's (Section 4 on Travel form)
Return the signed form(s): Travel Worksheet and Non-Employee if applicable to Penn State for reimbursement- Farmshow@psu.edu

Send all documents to farmshow@psu.edu or mail/fax to the address below

Lisa Lemire, Extension Finance Office
431 Curtin Rd
323 Ag Admin Bldg
University Park, PA 16802
Or Fax: 814-863-7776

*Do not send meal receipts to Penn State

Penn State Employees:

Submit forms to your ERS delegate (the staff handling ERS reimbursements).
Ensure each travel worksheet is signed by your committee chairperson.
*Applies to all Extension professionals and county-paid staff.

Non-Penn State Employees:

Make sure you sign both your Travel Worksheet and Non-Employee
Send completed travel form /non-employee forms to their committee chair

Committee Chair - PDA Submission:

In addition to the Penn State submission, send a second copy of the travel worksheets and itemized meal receipts (Alcohol is never accepted expense) to:

Chris Bond, Farm Show Office
2300 N. Cameron St.
Harrisburg, PA 17110 (For PDA auditors)

Chair Responsibilities

Update each record's Expense Form Status to "Committee Chair Approved" when SUBMITTED.
Record any last-minute personnel or schedule changes within one week after the Farm Show to keep data accurate.
Discrepancies may delay payment processing.

March 12, 2027 (Friday)- Deadline for Expenses

** ALL expenses must be in by this date to receive payment

Farm Show Committee Chair Database Purpose

This is the only database used for:

Committee lists
Lodging
Parking passes
Name tags
Financial reimbursements
Entering the days each person works allows tracking of individual participation.
After travel forms are submitted, you can record submission dates under Expense Status, which triggers an automatic email to members letting them know their reimbursement is being processed.