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Agriculture

Learn to evaluate juice and wine quality during May workshop

UNIVERSITY PARK — An upcoming Penn State Extension workshop will cover the fundamentals of juice and wine laboratory analysis through a mix of lectures and hands-on laboratory sessions. The Juice and Wine Laboratory Analysis workshop will occur May 20-21 at the Rodney A. Erickson Food Science Building on Penn State’s University Park campus. The event is aimed at winemakers, cellar workers and winery laboratory personnel. Through a blend of lectures and extensive hands-on practice, participants can learn techniques for evaluating juice and wine quality and gain confidence in ...

Extension to offer ‘Honey Bee Breeding Program Design’ course

UNIVERSITY PARK — For those interested in learning about designing breeding programs for honey bees, Penn State Extension is offering the “Honey Bee Breeding Program Design” course. The course is aimed at helping beekeepers decide whether they would like to begin a breeding program and providing the knowledge to get started. Participants will learn: • The benefits of genetic diversity for disease resistance, environmental adaptability and colony productivity. • How to target specific traits during breeding. • Why it is important to include multiple traits in the ...

College of Agricultural Sciences celebrates National Ag Day

UNIVERSITY PARK — On March 18, Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and the University Park Undergraduate Association marked National Ag Day, an event designed to recognize and celebrate the many contributions of the agricultural industry. “It was important to celebrate all the ways, big and small, that agriculture sustains us every day,” said Megan Marshall, director of student recruitment and activities in the college’s Office for Undergraduate Education. “One of our goals was to highlight the breadth of the agriculture industry.” Producers, agricultural ...

Cream cheese always a good source of calcium

Hi! I’m Ella Zimmerman, a dairy maid for Juniata County Dairy Promotion. Today, I am going to talk to you about cream cheese. Cream cheese is a food that can be used in a variety of ways. You can spread it on a bagel, cook it in a main meal or enjoy it in a dessert. Just one ounce of ...

Pumpkin production up, snap beans down in Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania pumpkin production is estimated at 1.09 million cwt, up 19% from the 2023 estimate, according to David Knopf, director of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Northeastern Regional Field Office. The average yield per acre is estimated at 160 cwt, 10 cwt below the 2023 average yield of 170 cwt per acre. Area harvested is estimated at 6,800 acres, up 26% from last year. The value of production totaled $32.0 million, up 72% from 2023. Pennsylvania snap bean production is estimated at 378 thousand cwt, down 7% from the 2023 estimate. ...

4-H members visit local schools during Pa. Ag Literacy Week

LEWISTOWN — Pennsylvania Ag Literacy Week 2025 was March 17-21. The program focused on connecting volunteers from the agricultural community with local classrooms to share the story of agriculture. This year, the PA Friends of Agriculture Foundation chose the book “The Soil in Jackie’s ...