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Agriculture

Replacing 3D printing with plant-derived materials

UNIVERSITY PARK — A sustainable resin material comprising agriculturally derived components could potentially replace plastics used in large-format 3D printing, which can produce furniture, boats and other similarly sized objects, according to a team of Penn State agricultural and biological engineers. A three-year, $650,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will underwrite the team’s effort to develop a substitute for currently available expensive, highly engineered resin materials that are mixtures of ...

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service monthly report

Editor's Note: This is a monthly column from the Northeastern Regional Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS-NERFO). The website is www.nass.usda.gov; for the reports mentioned below, click on the "Publications" tab. USDA forecasts U.S. corn production down from 2023 The Crop Production report issued Aug. 12 forecasted corn production down from 2023 and soybean production up from last year. Corn production is down 1% from last year, forecast at 15.1 billion bushels; soybean growers are expected to increase their production 10% from 2023, forecast at a ...

USDA announces key staff appointments, promotions

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the names of individuals who hold senior staff positions in Washington, D.C. Eric Deeble has been promoted to Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Before becoming the Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Dr. Deeble joined USDA as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Congressional Relations. Previously, Dr. Deeble worked at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, where he served as policy director. He has also served as a senior policy ...

USDA to measure quarterly bee colony loss

HARRISBURG — The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will be collecting information about colony loss in the honey industry throughout the United States. The next Quarterly Colony Loss survey will be conducted during October of 2024. This survey collects information about colony inventory and loss from more than 400 producers with honeybee colonies in the Northeastern Region of the United States. "The information from these surveys directly impacts our region's beekeepers and honey producers," said Kevin Pautler, acting director of the ...

4-H members compete at Junior Horse and Dressage Championship Shows

CENTRE HALL — The 10th annual Pennsylvania State 4-H Junior Horse Championship and 4th annual Pennsylvania State 4-H Dressage Championship Shows were held July 20-21 at the Centre County Grange Fairgrounds in Centre Hall. More than 130 4-H members from across Pennsylvania exhibited horses in ...

Learn about comprehensive planning in Pa.

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State Extension is hosting a free webinar designed to help the public, landowners, business owners, local municipal officials and planning commissioners understand the importance of comprehensive planning. "Comprehensive Plans in Pennsylvania: What Are They and Why Do They Matter?" will occur from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18, and will be repeated from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24. In Pennsylvania, local and county governments have the authority to create and implement comprehensive plans — a tool for guiding decision-making on ...