2013
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May is Egg Month – Enjoy one today !
May 22, 2013
- Poultry is one of the largest sectors of the Adams County Ag Community. While 76% of the county’s agricultural, lands are in crops, 68% of farm income comes from livestock and poultry production (2007 USDA Census). In 2007, $84.4 Million dollars of poultry and egg products were sold from the county as compared to the $45.3 Million from tree nuts, fruit, & berry production. With the close proximity to eastern markets and the good balance of animal production and croplands, poultry & egg production works out well in the county.
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Information About Local Farm Fresh Retailers Sought by Penn State Extension
May 16, 2013
- Farm fresh retailers of Dauphin County will have a new way to attract customers this summer. Penn State Extension of Dauphin County is seeking information from agricultural and local food producers who sell direct to the consumer through on-farm and centralized markets, pick-your-own farms, and roadside stands, to create online and print Farm Fresh Directories that will be freely available to the public in July 2013.
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4-H Fair July 31 - August 3, 2013
May 16, 2013
- Once again, Dauphin County 4-H will converge on the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex for our 4-H Fair. The 4-H Fair will be held July 31, through August 3, 2013.
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Strong Women Strong Bones Program in Dauphin County
May 14, 2013
- Penn State Extension of Dauphin County conducts a strength training and nutrition program called Strong Women, Strong Bones in Middle Paxton Township. A free informational session is scheduled for Monday, June 3, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. at the Dauphin County Agriculture and Natural Resources Building, 1451 Peters Mountain Road, Dauphin, PA 17018.
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Uninvited Guests: Spring Insect Pests
May 13, 2013
- The days are getting longer, temperatures warmer, and everything is starting to bloom. Insects and many other creatures are also appearing more frequently as the temperature rises. Often these creatures don’t bother us, but sometimes they can become pests. Use IPM to keep pest problems from getting out of control. Below are some general tips for preventing pests and a few helpful hints to manage some common pests this time of year.
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The Key to Lawn Mower Safety is You!
May 7, 2013
- Even though we are well into the lawn mowing season it is worthwhile to review the hazards associated lawn mowers and their safe operation. Each year thousands of injuries are caused by power lawn mowers. Many of these accidents involve children under the age of five years old, and usually result in grotesque injury and/or the loss of fingers, toes, limbs, or eyes.
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Master Gardener Plant Fest
May 2, 2013
- Save the date of Saturday, May 18, 2013, for great plants at the Penn State Extension Cumberland County Master Gardeners’ Ninth Annual Plant Fest. The plant sale runs from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., rain or shine, on the grounds of Claremont Nursing & Rehab Center, 1000 Claremont Road, Carlisle, PA. Look for the big tents at the corner of Claremont Road and Army Heritage Drive.
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Starting Early on IPM for the Season
May 1, 2013
- Late winter and the promise of spring brings with it the beginning of new growth. That includes bugs and rodents on the farm. Depending on how well you ventilated during the winter, conditions could be right for a bug bloom of epic proportions that may not be seen until you pull manure or litter out of your housing. The method of integrated pest management or IPM can help reduce the impact of the first few weeks of spring and certainly prior to manure movement from the farm.
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Save the Date for Plant Fest May 18
April 24, 2013
- Save the date of Saturday, May 18, 2013, for great plants at the Penn State Extension Cumberland County Master Gardeners’ Ninth Annual Plant Fest. The plant sale runs from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., rain or shine, on the grounds of Claremont Nursing & Rehab Center, 1000 Claremont Road, Carlisle, PA. Look for the big tents at the corner of Claremont Road and Army Heritage Drive.
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PA-WAgN Launches Specialty Mentor Program
April 18, 2013
- The Pennsylvania Women’s Agricultural Network (PA-WAgN) is launching a women farmer mentoring program to connect established farmers with new and beginning farmers, aspiring farmers, and seasoned farmers. The mentor program will encourage women farmers to support each other through shared learning and exchange of experiences in workshops and online forums focused on five topic areas: fruit and vegetable cultivation, dairy and cheese production, urban agriculture and nutrition, on-farm education and value-added products, and livestock production.
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Are You Ready for an FDA Visit?
April 17, 2013
- Most farmers would probably say no to that question, let alone become excited or optimistic about such a prospect. In fact, the thought of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration paying a visit leaves a lot of farmers with a dreadful sensation in their gut.
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Spring: A Key Time for Plant Diseases and Disease Control
April 15, 2013
- Spring is a key time for disease control. This is especially true for many leaf, needle, and flower diseases, regardless of the type of plant involved.
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Plant a Mother’s Day Container with Penn State Master Gardeners
April 3, 2013
- Penn State Master Gardeners in Cumberland County are hosting a workshop for youth on Saturday, May 4, 2013, between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon at the Penn State Extension office, 310 Allen Road, Carlisle. At this workshop, youth can make and take home a colorful container of flowers and herbs for Mom on Mother’s Day, which is Sunday, May 12. The Master Gardeners will also help youngsters leaf-print a card to add a special message to Mom and make a decoration to brighten the container.
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Dining with Diabetes Afternoon Classes Start Soon
April 3, 2013
- Penn State Extension is offering its interactive, informative, and low-cost series of classes on diabetes, beginning in late April. “Dining with Diabetes: A Program for Adults with Diabetes and their Families,” is designed to teach those with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes how to manage their condition. The set of 6 classes are offered in a social and interactive setting. A new attraction of the classes is that the series is offered without charge for Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries. For others, the total cost for the first 6 classes is $40.00 for an individual or $55.00 for a family of two. The fee includes all educational materials, lab tests and foods served, with scholarships available, based on financial need.
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Maintain the Best Soil for Your Crops by Avoiding Compaction
April 3, 2013
- It is that time of year again when homeowners and farmers are getting ready to plant their gardens or numerous acres of crop land. Even though planting is still a couple of weeks away, it is important to keep in mind that what you do to the soil now could affect your entire growing season. This is why it is important to maintain your soil’s fertility, which is its health or quality.
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Aquatic Invasive Species Pose a Threat
April 3, 2013
- The American Horticultural Society, in its most recent issue of The American Gardener, warned its members to “beware weedy aquatic plants.” Some introduced aquatic plants, such as crested floating heart, have become highly invasive, spreading rapidly in U.S. waterways. Established colonies of these plants can choke out water supplies, hydropower production, native vegetation, and recreational activities; and herbicides and mechanical control measures have had little effect.
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The Easter Lily
March 28, 2013
- The pure white flared trumpets of Easter lily flowers are a time‐honored symbol of the hope, purity and innocence embodied in the Easter tradition. Lilies grow each year from scaly bulbs deep in the earth, a resurrection if you will, to form majestic plants with sturdy dense green foliage and radiant white flowers touched with sweet fragrance.
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Cover Crop Field Walks Planned Across Pennsylvania
March 27, 2013
- Cover crop walks are planned at 10 locations this spring across Pennsylvania.
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Nut Grafting Classes
March 22, 2013
- How would you like to learn how to graft Black and English Walnut, Pecan, Hickory, and other nut trees? Well, there are two trainings available two Saturdays only. On June 15, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. at Lester Martin's, 19698 Swalies Road, Willow Hill, PA 17271, phone number: 717-349-7114 and June 22, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. at Don Jackson's, 9006 Camp Road, Red Lion, PA 17356, phone number: 717-244-1834. These trainings are sponsored by the Pennsylvania Nut Growers Association. Some carpool space is available from the Harrisburg Area.
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Penn State Master Gardeners Ready To Grow In The Garden
March 21, 2013
- “Ready, Set, Grow!” If you are anxious to get outside and start digging in the garden, then don’t miss this informative workshop offered by the Penn State Master Gardeners in Cumberland County. Scheduled for Saturday, March 23, 2013, at the Cumberland County Extension office, 310 Allen Road, Carlisle, “Ready, Set, Grow!” covers vegetable gardening tips and organic gardening techniques to help you have a healthy and productive vegetable garden. This year, the same program will be presented twice during the day, with a morning session from 8:15 to 11:30 a.m., and an afternoon session from 12:45 to 4:00 p.m.
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4-H Summer Program Intern Position
March 21, 2013
- The Penn State Extension Office in Dauphin County has openings for college students to be employed as summer interns in the 4-H Program serving the youth of Dauphin County.
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SUSTAINABLE GARDENING CLASSES OFFERED
March 19, 2013
- Do you want to learn home gardening techniques that are more earth-friendly and that can save you time and money? Do you want to create gardens and landscapes that are healthy, productive, and beautiful? Are you interested in raising poultry in your backyard? Then join Penn State Extension in Cumberland County for a series of four informal classes on “Sustainable Gardening” topics to be held on April 3, 10, 17, and 24, 2013.
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Speak up!
March 19, 2013
- Whoever said ‘silence is golden’ was not working on a committee or serving on a board. Silence isn’t golden when a community group is at work. In fact it can be toxic.
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Dauphin County 4-H Benefit Auction
March 15, 2013
- Come and join us for 9th Annual Dauphin County 4-H Benefit Auction on April 20, 2013, 9:00 a.m. at the Middle Paxton Municipal Building - Fire Station (Dauphin Fire Company), 10 Elizabeth Avenue, Dauphin, PA 17018. Also new this year we will have Kids Activities from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Including: 4-H Animal Learning Center, carnival games, pony rides, and crafts.
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Rain Gardens Workday Workshop
March 13, 2013
- Penn State Master Gardeners in Cumberland County will provide free “hands-on” training as part of their Workday Workshop at Lemoyne’s Streetscape Rain Gardens along 300 to 500 Market Street on Saturday, March 30, 2013, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. In case of rain, the workshop will be held the following Saturday, April 6.
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Farmer Partners With Butcher to Slash Costs
March 12, 2013
- New partnership enables farmer to cut processing costs in half.
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Food and Wellness Volunteer Program Thrives
March 12, 2013
- Penn State Extension ‘s Certified Food and Wellness Volunteer Training Program is in its second year. It’s a great opportunity to learn and grow, while giving back to the community. We are looking for people with some knowledge and interest in foods, nutrition and food safety who want to become more involved with community wellness. This is an exciting opportunity to join the growing program, which began in early 2012! Graduates have been active presenting to library groups, the PA Farm Show, schools and Kitchen Garden Day.
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2013 Dauphin County 4-H Summer Camps
March 8, 2013
- Experience 4-H for the summer, Dauphin County 4-H will be offering several day camps for students ages 6 - 12. Come and join us for this summer camp program and learn skills that will last a lifetime.
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Solomon’s Seal – 2013 Perennial Plant of the Year
March 7, 2013
- One of the pleasures of early spring, for a gardener weary of winter, is watching herbaceous perennials emerge from the bare ground, with lengthening stems and unfurling leaves often changing color as they develop into the full-grown plants that will add color, form, and texture to the garden during the growing season.
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Eat Right
March 7, 2013
- Food, Nutrition and Health Tips from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
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4-H Strawberry Plant Sale
March 6, 2013
- 4-H will be taking orders for high quality strawberry plant bundles. These plants come from virus indexed, tissue cultured mother plants. Plants come in bundles of 25. Each bundle contains a single variety. The cost per bundle is $6.00. Sales tax is included. Orders and payment are due by Wednesday, March 20, 2013.
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Looking Ahead to Spring Pasture Management
March 6, 2013
- Here are some practical tips when looking to manage pastures this spring.
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Moss is Greening Up in Pennsylvania Lawns
March 5, 2013
- Moss is one of the first plants to green-up in Pennsylvania lawns during early spring, and many homeowners consider it an annoying weed. This year, moss has made an early arrival, and homeowners are looking for answers on how to keep it from taking over their lawns.
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Farmers Making Their Plans for Spring
February 26, 2013
- Before farmers start their spring planting in March, they complete their winter planning in February. There is plenty to do on a farm — even when the ground is covered in snow. Pennsylvania was home to 62,100 farms in 2012, according to a report released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Heralds of Spring: Early Flowering Bulbs
February 21, 2013
- To remind us that spring will return, snowdrops poke their heads out of the ground, sometimes as early as Groundhog Day; but they are prettier than groundhogs, smell nicer, and stick around longer, even under a blanket of snow.
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Research Continues on Cover Crop Interseeder
February 21, 2013
- EPHRATA, Pa. -- In many parts of Pennsylvania, getting a cover crop seeded after corn or soybeans can be difficult, especially if it gets cold too soon. And while a cover crop interseeder may provide a way to get seed in when a crop is standing, it's not a perfect solution. Greg Roth, professor of agronomy at Penn State, talked about cover crop interseeders Monday during a webinar on cover crop management.
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Winter Educational Meetings for Fruit Growers
February 20, 2013
- Penn State Extension has nine educational meetings planned this winter for tree fruit growers throughout Pennsylvania. The meetings are designed to address current challenges with the latest research based information
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A New Challenge for Growing Flowers in the Shade
February 20, 2013
- Last season, we at Penn State Extension started getting calls about Impatiens losing their leaves and collapsing long before frost. The best calls were requests for bunny rabbit control as gardeners thought that rabbits had eaten all of their Impatiens’ leaves. It turns out that we have a new disease, Impatiens Downy mildew, that specifically hits what most of us know as the “Common Garden Impatien.”
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StrongWomen Strength Training Program Offered!
February 7, 2013
- Penn State Extension will be offering StrongWomen in several locations this winter and spring. This strength training program is geared for middle-aged to older women and men and is based upon years of research on how strength training and proper nutrition improve the health of all ages. The program was developed to help women and men increase their strength, bone density, balance and energy and help them look and feel better. Participants meet two times a week for one hour sessions and there is a fee to participate in this program. Participants may want to provide their own hand weights and ankle weights.
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2013 Vegetable Gardening Class
February 4, 2013
- Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Dauphin County will be presenting Vegetable Gardening Class on Saturday, April 20, 2013, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Dauphin County Agriculture & Natural Resources Center, 1451 Peters Mountain Road, Dauphin, PA 17018.
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Restoration of High Grade Forests
January 29, 2013
- Unsuspecting woodland owners selling timber often fall victim to the practice of "high-grading" or cutting the best trees and leaving the rest. Where this practice has occurred, there generally has been a decline on long term forest health and productivity. How can woodlands impacted by this practice be restored? On Thursday, February 14th at the Cumberland Woodland Owners’ Association meeting, Dr. James Finley, Penn State Professor of Forest Resources, will speak on the “Restoration of High Grade Forests in Pennsylvania.”
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Challenges and Opportunities for Obtaining Capital
January 24, 2013
- A workshop for young, new, and minority farmers to gain insight into ag loans and business management. Guest speaker is Clark Seavert, Oregon State University Agricultural Economics Professor.
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Don't Trash the Farm Show Butter Sculpture!
January 22, 2013
- What do you do with a 1,000 pounds of excess butter? The dairy masterpiece will be mushed into manure & other organic waste.
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Extension Programming at the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention
January 22, 2013
- The Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention, held January 29, to 31, at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, has become the premier grower meeting in the Northeast combining three days of six or more concurrent educational sessions with a large industry trade show and numerous networking opportunities - all designed to enable fruit, vegetable, and berry growers as well as direct marketers to stay on the cutting edge of their industries. About 2,200 persons from throughout the mid-Atlantic region and beyond gather each year at Hershey for the Convention. Registration is open to all interested commercial fruit, vegetable, and berry growers, direct marketers and allied industry personnel.
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2013-2014 Agronomy Guide Now Available
January 22, 2013
- The Penn State Agronomy Guide is designed for easy reading and quick reference.
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8th Annual Dauphin County MG Spring Workshop Series
January 15, 2013
- Penn State Master Gardeners from Dauphin County want you to prepare for spring by attending the Eighth Annual Dauphin County Master Gardener Spring Workshop Series on five consecutive Saturday mornings from February 23 through March 23, 2013.
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Mifflinburg FFA and Cumberland County 4-H Top Farm Safety Quiz Bowl
January 11, 2013
- Harrisburg – Mifflinburg FFA and Cumberland County Team A won their respective brackets at the Farm Safety Quiz Bowl on Wednesday, January 9, at the 2013 Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.
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Southampton Teen's Angus Named Champion at Farm Show
January 9, 2013
- This is her 4th Farm Show steer!
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Winter Manure Application Considerations
January 9, 2013
- Winter manure application is probably the most sensitive nutrient management issue that farmers face.
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Toss Your Hat in the Ring
January 9, 2013
- How to get involved in local government.
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97th Annual Farm Show Begins Saturday
January 2, 2013
- Theme for the 2013 show is 'Made in Pa.; It makes a difference'
