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Agriculture

USDA to survey farm chemical use, production costs

HARRISBURG — Beginning this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will gather information about crop production practices from producers across Pennsylvania and New York, as part of the 2023 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS). “ARMS is a vital survey that tracks how Pennsylvania and New York farms use technology to manage production of their major field crops,” King Whetstone, director of the NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office, said. “The data from this survey also help policymakers and farm groups ...

Pa. wheat production up, oats down, record high yield for barley

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania winter wheat production totaled 17.5 million bushels in 2023, up 14% from the 2022 total of 15.3 million bushels, according to King Whetstone, director of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Northeastern Regional Field Office. Area harvested for grain totaled 230 thousand acres, up 10% from the previous year. Yield was estimated at 76.0 bushels per acre, up 3.0 bushels from the previous year yield of 73.0 bushels per acre. Oat production was estimated at 2.87 million bushels, down 20% from 2022. Yield was estimated at 61.0 bushels ...

The Academy celebrates National Teach Ag Day

LEWISTOWN — Schools might focus on reading, writing and arithmetic, but Montana McKee knows the importance of agriculture to her education. “I want to be an agriculture teacher because I want to teach people the importance of agriculture and make an impact on the next generation of agriculturalists,” McKee explained. A junior at the Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology, McKee is considering becoming an agriculture teacher after high school. Students in the Agricultural Sciences program at the Academy recently celebrated National Teach Ag Day on Sept. 21, ...

‘PA Pumpkin Palooza: Where Gourds Go Glam!’ contest announced

HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and PA Preferred have announced the “PA Pumpkin Palooza: Where Gourds Go Glam!” contest. Pennsylvanians are encouraged to get out to their local farm to find pumpkins to use as canvases during the autumn season. Artists are invited to use their painting or carvings skills to showcase their PA Pumpkins. Post your entry using #PAPumpkinPalooza23, but official submissions to the contest must be sent to agcontests@pa.gov by Oct. 20, 2023. Winners will be announced on Oct. 31, 2023.

Penn State’s Great Insect Fair returns to Ag Arena Sept. 30

UNIVERSITY PARK — Technology is an integral part of everyday life in the 21st century. Fittingly, Penn State’s 2023 Great Insect Fair will highlight the theme, “Bugs in the System,” focusing on the technology used in entomology. All are invited to attend the Great Insect Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, at the Snider Agricultural Arena on the University Park campus. The Department of Entomology in the College of Agricultural Sciences sponsors the event. This year’s theme will engage visitors with high-tech videos, introduce specialized beekeeping equipment ...

Conservation District offering assistance for farm plan development

MIDDLEBURG — Any Snyder County farmer interested in having necessary plans to follow PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulations can apply with the Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) to help pay for development or update of a manure management plan (MMP), nutrient management plan (NMP), agricultural erosion and sedimentation (Ag. E&S) plan, and/or NRCS style conservation plan. All farms are required to develop and implement a written plan that covers their operation under the current regulations to maintain compliance. This will also help farmers thinking ...