A variety of research and educational programs related to agriculture and natural resources will be in the spotlight on several tours to be offered during Penn State’s Ag Progress Days, to be held from August 10-12 at Rock Springs. Admission and parking are free and open to anyone with an interest in these fields.
The tours will transport visitors by bus to locations in and around Penn State’s Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center which is located about ten miles southwest of University Park on Route 45. The center is a more than 2,000-acre facility where researchers in the College of Agricultural Sciences carry out field studies looking at technologies and best practices in farming, conservation and natural resources.
Those who can’t attend the annual expo still can get a flavor for Penn State agricultural research by viewing online virtual tours that are available anytime.
Virtual tours highlighting the farms at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center, related College of Agricultural Sciences research projects, and past Ag Progress Days research tours are available online and can be accessed anytime. Viewers can click here to learn more about Penn State’s horticulture, agronomy, plant pathology and entomology farms, the USDA Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit farm at Rock Springs, and Penn State research on hops, organic agriculture, industrial hemp, deer and other topics.
The event is sponsored by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and will have these hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. August 10; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. August 11; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. August 12.
For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days website. Twitter users can find and share information about the event by using the hashtag #agprogressdays, and the event also can be found on Facebook (@AgProgressDays).
NATURE NUGGET: Pennsylvania is known as the “Snack Food Capital of the World.” With major producers of pretzels, potato chips, confectioneries, and chocolate, Pennsylvania’s snack food and confectionery industries generate more than $5.1 billion in sales annually. Pennsylvania is also the international headquarters for Hershey Foods Corporation and H. J. Heinz. When it comes to food processing, Pennsylvania’s 2,300 food-processing companies are number one among the 50 United States in the value of shipments of canned fruit and vegetable specialty products, chocolate and cocoa products, potato chips and pretzels.
NATURE QUOTE:
“Porcupine Pat” McKinney is environmental education coordinator for the Schuylkill Conservation District and provides programming for people of all ages with an emphasis on schools, public programming and nature center development. “Porcupine Pat” hails from Marion, Ohio and has a BS with Distinction in Natural Resources – Environmental Interpretation from Ohio State. He is a recipient of the prestigious Sandy Cochran Award for Excellence in Natural Resources Education from the PA Forestry Association, the Schuylkill Pride Award, and the PAEE “Outstanding Environmental Educator Award.”
