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Agriculture

Ag Progress Day: Gardening expertise blooms

UNIVERSITY PARK — Need expert gardening advice? Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences experts will offer consultations in the Yard and Garden Area during Ag Progress Days, Aug. 8-10. Experts include Penn State Extension Master Gardeners, extension educators, and specialists in horticulture, entomology and plant pathology. At the “Ask a Master Gardener” booth, gardening enthusiasts can receive advice from Master Gardeners from across the state, get information about the spotted lanternfly, and learn about the Pennsylvania Pollinator-Friendly Habitat Certification program, ...

Farm fields store carbon, but just how much?

The Associated Press DYSART, Iowa — When Al Schafbuch cut back on plowing his Iowa fields decades ago and later began growing cover crops, he was out to save money on fertilizer and reduce erosion. He got those benefits and saw his soil change for the better, too: dark, chunky, richly organic matter that he said feels like “chocolate cake.” There’s one more big payoff that benefits everyone: tilling the soil less, and growing more cover crops, can help farmers store more planet-warming carbon in fields. More plants take in more carbon dioxide, and soil microbes breathe out ...

Penn State Master Gardeners’ bee monitoring research honored

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State Extension Master Gardeners triumphed at the International Master Gardener Conference held June 18-22 in Overland Park, Kan., earning first place in the research category of the David Gibby Search for Excellence Awards for their exceptional volunteer work and dedication to bee monitoring. The conference hosted 1,130 Master Gardeners and extension professionals from 44 U.S. states, Canada and England. “It is thrilling to have the honor of joining my Penn State Extension Master Gardeners in receiving this award and for our data collection efforts to be ...

Refreshing summertime recipe for tasty yogurt pie

BY Noah Lewis Dairy Ambassador Noah, a Juniata County Dairy Ambassador, is a hard worker and enjoys learning everything that he can. He is excited for the opportunity to promote and teach people the importance of dairy products and how it is beneficial to our bodies. A single serving of ...

Plans needed for Snyder County farmers and ag operations

MIDDLEBURG — The Snyder County Conservation District wants to remind farmers and agricultural, livestock and equine operations that they need the following plans: A manure management plan (MMP) or nutrient management plan (NMP) if you produce or utilize manure, and An agricultural erosion & sedimentation plan (Ag. E&S Plan) or conservation plan if you raise crops or hay or graze pastures. If you do have these plans, please check if they are up to date and reflect your current level of operation. If you do not have these plans or are not sure if your plans are ...

More states legalize sales of unpasteurized milk, despite the public health warnings

by Tony Leys KFF Health News LORIMOR, Iowa — Babe the goat is trendier than she looks. Babe lives a quiet life on a hillside farm in southern Iowa, where she grazes on grass with a small herd of fellow goats. Her owner, Stacy Wistock, milks her twice a day. Wistock takes precautions to keep the milk clean, but she rarely pasteurizes it. Until recently, she gave it away to family and friends. Now, she’ll make a little money off it. Iowa legislators decided this spring to join dozens of other states in allowing small producers to sell unpasteurized milk from cows, goats, and ...