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Agriculture

Penn State Extension to offer youth ‘Animal Adventures’ camp

UNIVERSITY PARK — Aimed at children who enjoy animals and are interested in learning more about common farm animals and dogs, Penn State Extension is offering a day camp for children ages 8 to 12 that will focus on hands-on experiences related to animal agriculture. The camp will be July 7-11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Snider Agricultural Arena on Penn State’s University Park campus in State College. This camp will teach children about the role animals play in food production. They will learn about where their food comes from and about animal science. Children can engage in ...

USDA to survey farmers’ planting intentions for 2025

HARRISBURG — As the 2025 crop production season begins, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will contact producers nationwide to determine their plans for the upcoming growing season. “Each year, the agriculture industry anticipates USDA’s Prospective Plantings report, which provides the first survey-based estimates of U.S. farmers’ planting intentions for the year,” said NASS’ northeastern regional director David Knopf. “The March Agricultural Survey provides the factual data that underpins these projections, ...

USDA Northeastern Region farm labor report

There were 797,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on the Nation’s farms and ranches during the week of Oct. 6-12, 2024, up 3% from the October 2023 reference week. Workers hired directly by farm operators numbered 808,000 during the week of July 7-13, 2024, up 3% from the July 2023 reference week. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average gross wage of $19.11 per hour during the October 2024 reference week, up 2% from the October 2023 reference week. Field workers received an average of $18.57 per hour, up 2%. Livestock workers earned $17.51 per hour, up 2%. The ...

Conservation District announces new ACAP grant application period

BURNHAM — Farm operations can now apply for funding through the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) to install best management practices such as waste storage facilities/mortality composters, forest and grass buffers, stream and wetland restoration, and heavy use area protection to name a few. Funding for the ACAP Program was originally created through the American Rescue Plan Act and the Clean Streams Fund and was established with the goal of reducing nonpoint source pollution to surface and groundwater supplies. The program is administered by the State Conservation ...

USDA-NASS agriculture update

U.S. and Northeast Region farm labor There were 797,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on the Nation’s farms and ranches during the week of Oct. 6-12, 2024, up 3% from the October 2023 reference week. Workers hired directly by farm operators numbered 808,000 during the week of July 7-13, 2024, up 3% from the July 2023 reference week. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average gross wage of $19.11 per hour during the October 2024 reference week, up 2% from the October 2023 reference week. Field workers received an average of $18.57 per hour, up 2%. Livestock ...

Pa. wheat production down, oats up

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania winter wheat production totaled 14.6 million bushels in 2024, down 16% from the 2023 total of 17.5 million bushels, according to Kevin Pautler, acting director of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Northeastern Regional Field Office. Area harvested for grain totaled 195,000 acres, down 15% from the previous year. Yield was estimated at 75.0 bushels per acre, down 1.0 bushel from the previous year yield of 76.0 bushels per acre. Oat production was estimated at 3.01 million bushels, up 5% from 2023. Yield was estimated at 59.0 ...