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Agriculture

USDA to measure northeastern milk production

HARRISBURG — Thousands of milk producers across the country will receive surveys from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) as the agency collects information for the 2023 Milk Production reports. The dairy industry relies on monthly Milk Production reports to make decisions about the marketing of milk. By participating in the survey, milk producers can ensure that NASS provides timely, accurate and useful data that all sectors of the U.S. dairy industry use to make sound business decisions. NASS will mail the questionnaires to all ...

Pa. 4-H competes in Scotland, Ireland

TIPPERARY, Ireland — A team of four Pennsylvania 4-H members recently competed in dairy judging contests in Scotland and Ireland, placing first at the Clonmel Agricultural Show in Ireland. Team members included Morgan Smoker, of Mifflin County; Sara Haag, of Berks County; Madelynn Hoffman, of Lancaster County and Ellie Curtis, of Warren County. The team qualified to represent the United States at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh, Scotland, after winning the National 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest at World Dairy Expo, held last October in Madison, Wis. The team was selected ...

Conservation District offers cover crop program

MIDDLEBURG — Farmers know cover crops keep their soils covered to prevent erosion. Cover crops can also help with weed suppression. When planted year after year, cover crops improve the soil’s water holding capacity. However, you may have been leery in planting a cover crop for the first time because of a lack of equipment, experience, never tried after a summer grain harvest, or some other concern. The Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) is offering a program to encourage county farmers to plant cover crops for the first time within the Middle Creek Watershed. ...

Organic food sector expects 15% growth

The organic food market continues to expand despite a higher price tag compared to conventional foods. The sector is expected to grow by $310 billion U.S. dollars from 2022 to 2027, an increase of nearly 16% per year, according to a 2023 Technavio report. Some experts disagree that organic foods provide increased health benefits, prompting the question, is it worth paying higher prices for organic foods, especially during a time of significant inflation? The Higher Cost of Organic Foods and Beverages When checking the price tags at a grocery store, it’s clear that organic food ...

Penn State Extension to host ‘Advanced Sheep and Goat Nutrition School’

UNIVERSITY PARK — Interested in learning how to balance rations to best meet nutritional requirements for sheep or goats? Upcoming Penn State Extension workshops are aimed at teaching producers how to formulate rations using computer software. Two “Advanced Sheep and Goat Nutrition Schools” will be held this fall. The first school will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, at the Penn State Extension office in Westmoreland County, 214 Greensburg-Donohoe Station Rd. in Greensburg. The second school will occur from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, at the Penn State ...

PSU gets $3M grant from NSF to address insect biodiversity crisis

UNIVERSITY PARK — A team of Penn State researchers has received a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to spearhead a new initiative to create novel monitoring systems for insect populations, many of which are experiencing dramatic changes across the globe due to changes in land use, pollution and climate change. The project — called Interdisciplinary Studies in Entomology, Computer Science and Technology NETwork, or INSECT NET — will establish a graduate training program to empower students to develop solutions to the insect biodiversity crisis. The program ...