Upcoming Events

Penn State Master Gardeners of Westmoreland County and Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve are hosting a Pollinator Garden Open House at the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA

The Woods in Your Backyard teaches stewardship of small parcels of land. By enhancing or creating natural areas and woodland on your lot, you can enjoy recreation, aesthetics, wildlife, and water quality. If your lot connects to other lots, there’s ample opportunity to make an even bigger impact by getting neighbors involved! Owners of even just a few acres can make a positive difference in the environment through planning and implementing simple stewardship practices.

The Sensory Evaluation Session portion of the Wine Quality Initiative program is a free service to all PA wineries. Wineries are encouraged to submit pre-bottled or post-bottled wines for a professional evaluation on wine defects in an individual wine sample. This is an opportunity for wineries to receive objective feedback on their wine, and make appropriate adjustments prior to bottling if pre-bottled samples are submitted.

This session is suitable for Parents, Families and Friends!

To help equine owners understand Manure Management requirements and learn about best management practices that are good for both animal and environmental health, ICCD is hosting an Equine Management Workshop featuring the Penn State University Extension Equine Team.

This short course is designed to introduce participants to a basic understanding of molds, yeasts and mycotoxins that may occur in foods and in processing environments.

Interested in growing high-value specialty grains on your farm? Join researchers and farmers working on the Value-Added Grains Project to learn about sourcing, managing and marketing these crops—plus get to taste them too!

We are all conscious of the toll the Global War on Terrorism has taken on the military members. But, have you ever thought about the toll it has taken on family members, especially the children?

Dining with Diabetes is a program for adults with diabetes and their families that will increase knowledge of healthy food choices and diabetes management. The classes offer healthy meal planning, cooking demonstrations, and hands-on food preparation, class discussions, and new physical activity choices.

Dining with Diabetes is a program for adults with diabetes and their families that will increase knowledge of healthy food choices and diabetes management. The classes offer healthy meal planning, cooking demonstrations, and hands-on food preparation, class discussions, and new physical activity choices.

This workshop will explore the theory behind sulfur dioxide and its relationship to pH, how to make proper SO2 additions in the winery and throughout production, how to properly manage oxygen, and how to effectively measure free and total SO2 in wine samples. While the use of sulfur dioxide in winemaking can be a challenging concept, this workshop will aim to make its use understandable in winemaking situations. Participants will have an opportunity to evaluate analytical methods related to SO2 measurements and discuss practical solutions to oxygen- and SO2-related winemaking problems. The cost for this workshop is $50 per person and includes both breakfast and lunch.

Dr. John Tooker will join the annual Agronomic Weed and Insect Tour and showcase some of his insect pest/slug and beneficial insect research at the farm. A number of weed control experiments will be showcased and available for viewing including the new soybean technologies from Dow (Enlist -2,4-D tolerance), Monsanto (Roundup Ready 2 Yield Xtend - dicamba tolerance) and Bayer Crop Science (HPPD – Balance tolerance). Pest Management CCA CEU's and Pesticide Recertification Credits will be available.

Childhood obesity is a national problem.

This workshop provides practical food safety strategies for nonprofit organizations that prepare and serve food.

This one-day field clinic is designed to improve the agronomic management skills of industry personnel, Extension and public agents, crop consultants, and producers. Specialists from Penn State and the agricultural community will provide hands-on diagnosis training in crop production, pest management, soil fertility, and soil and water conservation. Participants will be involved in a variety of topics and have ample opportunity to diagnose, solve, and discuss crop management problems and situations, and evaluate new and alternative management strategies. Practical information about interacting factors (nutrients, pests, environmental stress) that affect crop management and are unique to Northeastern agriculture can be discussed. In addition to gaining practical agronomic knowledge, CCA, nutrient management, and pesticide applicator license credits can be obtained. (There will be a total of 5 CCA credits that can be acquired in CM, PM, NM & SW.)

This one-day field clinic is designed to improve the agronomic management skills of industry personnel, Extension and public agents, crop consultants, and producers. Specialists from Penn State and the agricultural community will provide hands-on diagnosis training in crop production, pest management, soil fertility, and soil and water conservation. Participants will be involved in a variety of topics and have ample opportunity to diagnose, solve, and discuss crop management problems and situations, and evaluate new and alternative management strategies. Practical information about interacting factors (nutrients, pests, environmental stress) that affect crop management and are unique to Northeastern agriculture can be discussed. In addition to gaining practical agronomic knowledge, CCA, nutrient management, and pesticide applicator license credits can be obtained. (There will be a total of 5 CCA credits that can be acquired in CM, PM, NM & SW.)

This clinic will provide education on proper location, construction, testing, maintenance, protection and treatment of private drinking water supplies.

This clinic will provide education on proper location, construction, testing, maintenance, protection and treatment of private drinking water supplies.

Class Dates: July 18 and August 1, 2013; Exam: August 1, 2013 at 12:15 PM; Registration Deadline: July 11, 2013

Class Dates: July 23 and 30, 2013; Exam: July 30, 2013 at 1:00 PM; Registration Deadline: July 16, 2013

Renewable Energy Academy - 3 hour workshop on Small Scale Hydro Applications for Farms, and Business

The Strengthening Families Program: for Parents and Youth 10-14 is a family skills-building curriculum designed to prevent teen substance abuse and other behavior problems; strengthen parenting skills; build family strengths.

This session information is suitable for parents, families and friends!

The Landscape and Ornamental Field Day provides research-based information to the green industry while providing credits to maintain pesticide licenses, arborist certification and PLANET Certified Landscape Technician and Pennsylvania Certified Horticulturist accreditation.

This session information is suitable for parents, families and friends.

Class Dates: August 12 and 19, 2013; Exam: August 19, 2013 at 1:00 PM; Registration Deadline: August 2, 2013

Visitors to the Equine Pasture Management and High Density Grazing Demonstrations during Ag Progress Days, Aug. 13-15, can learn about best practices to enhance their farm or property.

Join the region's bioenergy companies, scientists, and researchers as we explore the emerging business opportunities, discoveries, and new trends that will be shaping the bio economy in the coming years. Our focus will be on the USDA AFRI sponsored NEWBio consortium - a regional initiative to expand the use of short rotation woody crops and perennial grasses for bioenergy in the northeast. Network with the bioenergy community, learn what companies have in the works for the near future, and learn what new discoveries are being made. Take part in afternoon breakout sessions designed to give the NEWBio effort direction and guidance on how we can make a growing bioenergy sector a reality in this region. An afternoon poster session reception will give attendees an additional opportunity to meet with researchers and discuss topics in depth. Attendees will be asked to judge the overall quality of the posters, and help select the top submissions.

A basic course in Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point certified by the International HACCP Alliance. Taught by certified instructors with extensive experience in food safety training, the course provides participants with hands-on experience in developing a HACCP plan. Emphasis is on FDA regulated food products including juice and cider, fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, baked goods, confections, snack foods, and egg and dairy products. The dates and times for this event are August 20, 2013 - 9:30 AM-5:00 PM; August 21, 2013 - 8:00 AM-5:00 PM; and, August 22, 2013 - 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM.

This class will focus on methods, tools and documentation of child assessment.

Both new and experienced producers should plan to attend. Equipment will be furnished. Wear work clothes and bring gloves.

The Hardwood Lumber Grading Short Course will cover and explain the NHLA hardwood lumber grades and will offer hands-on grading of hardwood lumber. The course will benefit anyone involved in the lumber industry who needs a basic understanding of hardwood lumber grades, including: traders and sawyers; those who edge or end trim lumber; lumber buyers and rough-mill managers; and sales representatives.

Class Dates: September 23 and 30, 2013; Exam: September 30, 2013 at 1:00 PM; Registration Deadline: September 13, 2013

Renewable Energy Academy - 3 hour workshop on Wind Energy Systems for Homes & Business

Class Dates: October 7 and 15, 2013; Exam: October 15, 2013 at 1:00 PM; Registration Deadline: September 27, 2013

Dining with Diabetes is a program for adults with diabetes and their families that will increase knowledge of healthy food choices and diabetes management. The classes offer healthy meal planning, cooking demonstrations, and hands-on food preparation, class discussions, and new physical activity choices.

Class Dates: October 10 and October 24, 2013; Registration Deadline: October 3, 2013

The short course is a comprehensive two-and-one-half day lecture and hands-on lab/demonstration program on the essentials of sanitation practices that prevent food contamination in commercial food facilities.

This three-day short-course is taught in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and includes lectures and laboratory sessions on regulations, cleaning and sanitizing, pasteurization, instrumentation, and other operational procedures in milk plants.

Class Dates: October 28 and November 4, 2013; Exam: November 4, 2013 at 1:00 PM; Registration Deadline: October 18, 2013

Class Dates: November 4 and 11, 2013; Exam: November 11, 2013 at 1:00 PM; Registration Deadline: November 1, 2013

Class Dates: December 2 and 9, 2013; Exam: December 9, 2013 at 1:00 PM; Registration Deadline: November 22, 2013

Renewable Energy Academy - 3 hour workshop on Renewable Liquid Biofuel Technologies and their applications