US Rep. Glenn Thompson gets agricultural award, as protests rage on at Bellefonte office
U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Howard, smiled to a standing ovation Tuesday at an awards ceremony at Wasson Farm, celebrating a career dedicated to supporting agriculture. Twelve miles away, directly outside of his Bellefonte office, more than 80 protesters simultaneously raised signs and chanted about their growing concerns for America.
Protesters said they were unaware Thompson was scheduled earlier that day to receive the Golden Plow Award, an annual honor given to a sitting member of Congress by the American Farm Bureau Federation. But the two events synced up nearly perfectly. The indoor awards ceremony kicked off at 11 a.m. with Thompson addressing reporters just after noon; the outdoor “Thompson Tuesdays” rally, which has fast become a monthly staple, began right at noon.
“We know they’re mostly protesting President Trump and Elon Musk, who are doing their jobs,” Thompson told reporters. “They’re doing their jobs in a way I think every American, including those (protesting) individuals, is going to benefit.”
Many protesters see Thompson as an extension of the president, as his votes have often reflected Trump’s positions. On Tuesday, he told reporters he also supported Trump’s tariffs and intimated he didn’t have a problem with the recent visa revocations involving Penn State students.
Some protesters’ signs addressed exactly that, with a handmade cardboard sign reading “Honk for Due Process for All” and another mocking Musk’s DOGE group with “Diabolical Oligarchs Gaslighting Everyone.”
“I’m hoping that Republicans will see what Trump’s doing to the country and that they’ll impeach him. That’s my hope,” said Ken Kline Smeltzer, a protester and member of the Centre County Democratic Committee, who acknowledged that was a long shot. “We’re fighting for the future of our country.”
At Harris Township’s Wasson Farm, which was closed to the public Tuesday, the scene was much different. No protesters stood outside, and invited guests — many dressed in sports jackets and jeans — milled around tables draped in white linens. Several Centre County Dairy Princesses handed out bottles of chocolate milk, and Thompson carried that and a bottle of water to the podium that was off-set by two bright green tractors.
The Congressman was publicly congratulated there by Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding, a Democrat; American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall; Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Chris Hoffman; and Penn State Dean of Agricultural Sciences Troy Ott. It was the second time Thompson received the Golden Plow Award; the first came in 2014.
“To receive it once is a testament to a career of impact and service to agriculture and our rural communities,” Redding said. “To receive it twice is rare and really remarkable, a powerful acknowledgment of the deep and lasting impact GT has had on American agriculture and will continue to have on American agriculture.”
As the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Thompson has played a key role in setting national agricultural policy. He has significant influence over the Farm Bill — multiyear legislation that governs agricultural programs — and has also introduced key legislation, such as the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which would restore whole milk options in schools.
But no visible protest signs outside his office directly decried his work as chair, or even his efforts involving agriculture. Instead, the criticisms were more recent and more wide-ranging — high tariffs that some banks predict could send the U.S. into a recession, visa revocations that Centre County’s district attorney says he’s never seen before, an about-face on Ukraine, cuts to Medicaid, cuts to national parks, cuts period.
A woman in a full-length chicken costume walked back and forth during the protest with a paper pasted to her back that read, “Why did GT cross the road? To get away from a town hall.” The Centre County Dems previously attempted to set up a town hall that included Thompson, but he declined. (He also declined a similar invitation by the CDT.)
Thompson reiterated again Tuesday that he often makes himself available to constituents — he pointed to his Bellefonte office and said he attends many events — but he saw no reason to attend a town hall organized by county Dems. “It’s not logical,” he added.
That didn’t sit entirely well with Abbey Carr, executive director of the Centre County Democratic Committee, which has co-organized many of the rallies against Thompson.
“We are his constituents, whether we voted for him or whether we voted for Trump,” she said at the protest. “No matter what, he needs to listen and he needs to answer questions.”
Many cars honked as they passed the protesters in a nod of support; a few motorists instead shouted in support of Trump. Back at Wasson Farm, more than 70 people created their own parking spots in grass while Thompson greeted attendees.
“It’s a tremendous honor. And, like I said, I dedicate it to the American farm families, the Pennsylvania farm families,” Thompson said, referring to the Golden Plow Award, “because it’s an honor to work on their behalf.”
Protesters concerned the U.S. is on the verge of catastrophe don’t plan to stop anytime soon. Recent events, such as the April 5 “Hands Off!” rally, drew several hundred — and they hope a louder voice is a harder voice to ignore, whether Thompson is at his office or accepting a career award.
This story was originally published April 23, 2025 at 10:53 AM.
