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Agriculture

Penn State Extension offers land-use webinar series

UNIVERSITY PARK — A Penn State Extension webinar series is aimed at helping community leaders navigate land-use challenges. The Summer/Fall 2025 Land-Use Webinar Series runs monthly through November. Sessions will feature Penn State experts and guest speakers discussing timely issues affecting municipal officials, planners, landowners and community organizations. Each 75-minute session will be recorded and made available to registrants for six months. Other programs in the series will include: — Sept. 17: “Current Pennsylvania Solar Development Trends: Update for Municipal ...

Juniata County Dairy Promotion pointers

Hi, my name is Jayde Sweger and I’m a Juniata County Dairy Miss. Being on the dairy court is so rewarding by being able to promote the dairy industry. Did you know that 73% of calcium available in the food supply is provided by milk and other dairy products that we consume every day. Milk ...

Learn about ponds in walk with Penn State Extension

UNIVERSITY PARK — Pond owners, pond managers, residents of lake communities and local officials can gain practical knowledge from an upcoming Penn State Extension workshop focused on the basics of pond water quality, ecology, and plant identification and management. The “Twilight Pond Walk” will occur in multiple locations in August and October. Participants can choose the location and date that works best for them. • Venango County: 7-9 p.m. Aug. 19, at the Aikin property, 706 Lake Creek Rd., Cooperstown. • Mercer County: 7-9 p.m. Aug. 20, at the Balunek property, 447 ...

USDA encourages food safety with back-to-school lunches

WASHINGTON — Back-to-school shopping usually means backpacks, notebooks and lunchboxes. But don’t forget to add food safety to the list. Young children, especially those under age five, are more likely to get seriously sick from foodborne illness. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is reminding parents, caregivers, and anyone packing school lunches to follow a few simple food safety steps. “As the school year begins, we want families to keep food safety top of mind,” said USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Administrator Dr. Justin Ransom. “Young children ...

Earn pesticide recertification credits at Extension workshop

UNIVERSITY PARK — A workshop hosted by Penn State Extension in Lancaster and Centre counties in September will offer an opportunity for pesticide applicators to earn recertification credits. In Lancaster County, “Field Crop Recertification School” will be Wednesday, Sept. 17 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Penn State’s Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 1446 Auction Rd., Manheim. The Centre County event will occur Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Penn State’s Snider Agricultural Arena, 889 E. Park Ave., State College. The workshop is ...

USDA announces $230M in food purchases for communities in need

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) intends to purchase up to $230 million in fresh seafood, fruits and vegetables from American farmers and producers to distribute to food banks and nutrition assistance programs across the country. These purchases are being made through Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935 and will assist producers and communities in need. Fiscal year to date, USDA has provided more than $924 million in purchases, all which benefit the charitable feeding network. This is one of many actions USDA has taken to support smaller scale family farmers ...