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Agriculture

4-H Wildlife and Forestry Field Day scheduled for May 9

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State Extension will hold the 4-H Wildlife and Forestry Field Day, an event where youth from across Pennsylvania can explore their interest in wildlife and forestry. This year, the event will be open to external participants, including those not involved in 4-H. The field day will be May 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Penn State Ag Progress Days site, 2710 W. Pine Grove Rd., Pennsylvania Furnace. Registration will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. The event will be held rain or shine. This year’s theme is Head, Heart, Hand, Health and ...

ServSafe certification accelerated course offered by Penn State Extension in Centre County

STATE COLLEGE — Penn State Extension is offering the “ServSafe Review and Exam,” a one-day recertification course designed for individuals renewing their ServSafe food protection manager certification. The course will be offered April 6 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at State College Municipal Building, 243 S. Allen St. State College. This accelerated program is appropriate for individuals who have completed the ServSafe course in the past and are looking to recertify. It covers key food safety concepts, including core principles and best practices; safe food purchasing and handling; ...

More farms preserved in Pa. than any other state

LEBANON — Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding visited Talview Dairy Farm in Lebanon County on Oct. 15 to celebrate a major milestone in Pennsylvania’s history — the preservation of more than 6,600 farms and 650,000 acres of farmland for agricultural use across the Commonwealth, the most farms of any state in the nation. The Farmland Preservation Program is a collaborative effort between state and local governments and nonprofit organizations, united in the goal of preserving prime farmland for future generations. At Talview ...

Houser named Penn State Extension associate director

UNIVERSITY PARK — Chris Houser, Penn State Extension assistant director for agronomy and natural resources programs, has been named the organization’s associate director for programs. He has been serving in the associate director role on an interim basis since June 2024. As associate director for programs, Houser will provide leadership for the development and delivery of high-quality, relevant and impactful extension educational programs, products and services through a variety of formats. “Throughout his time in Penn State Extension, Chris Houser has proven to work ...

Penn State Extension offers home food preservation workshops

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State Extension will offer in-person food preservation workshops in State College this fall. Instructors will present research-backed information to help dispel food preservation myths, point out unsafe practices and offer practical tips to ensure a positive experience when preserving food at home. The two-hour workshops will help attendees, whether seasoned experts or beginners, to gain valuable food-preservation skills, organizers noted. Workshop topic, time, date and location are as follows: Home Food Preservation: Wild Game. Learn the basics of ...

Pa. invests $8.8M to protect 33 farms

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania is investing more than $8.8 million to purchase development rights for 2,017 acres on 33 farms in 16 counties. The joint investment between state and local government protects the farms forever from residential or commercial development, ensuring that Pennsylvania farmers will have the high-quality land they need to continue feeding our families and supporting our economy. Since the Shapiro Administration began, Pennsylvania has invested $134 million to preserve 448 new farms and 37,194 prime acres of farmland across the state. “When farms are replaced ...