2012
Helping the public understand the importance and diversity of agriculture is a major goal for the faculty, staff and students from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences who will participate in the Pennsylvania Farm Show, Jan. 5 to 12, in Harrisburg, Pa. The Pennsylvania Farm Show is the largest indoor agricultural event in America, and the college's role is part of Penn State's land-grant partnership with the state. The college's presence will be felt throughout the Farm Show Complex, but the public focus will be an exhibit in the Main Hall offering presentations on a variety of topics, as well as information for prospective students on career opportunities and academic programs at one of the premier agricultural colleges in the nation.
A Web-based seminar, "Analyzing the Options for Monetizing the Shale Gas Resource," will be presented by Penn State Extension at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15. The one-hour webinar will examine the growing supply and varying demand for natural gas produced from deep shale formations in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Uday Turaga, founder and chief executive officer of ADI Analytics LLC -- who is internationally known for his expertise in shale-gas production and the resource's market -- will provide his insight during the session. While news reports regularly feature stories about new shale-gas basins, increased gas estimates or higher production yields, a thorough public understanding of natural-gas demand often is lacking, webinar organizers said.
The three-year-old doe that recently was found to be Pennsylvania's first case of chronic wasting disease was born on a deer farm near Williamsport. But Lycoming County is not within the disease management area set up by the state, and hunters who kill deer there this fall and are concerned about the health of animals they harvest should consider having them tested for CWD, according to a veterinarian in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
The effects of Marcellus Shale natural-gas drilling and other emerging water-resources issues will be covered during monthly Web-based seminars produced by Penn State Extension starting this fall.
A narrowly averted farm tragedy in September has a farm safety expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences renewing his warning about the dangers of toxic gases emanating from manure-storage facilities. Davis Hill, senior extension associate in the University's Agricultural Safety and Health Program, notes four predominant toxic gases that are produced during manure storage and released during agitation. The most serious of these, from a health standpoint, is hydrogen sulfide. Federal and state agriculture officials have raised concerns about the possibility of higher-than-usual levels of hydrogen sulfide gas being emitted from manure pits containing gypsum-based animal bedding.
The 2012 Marcellus Summit, sponsored by Penn State Extension, will cover the latest trends, issues and concerns surrounding shale-gas development in Pennsylvania, according to organizers.
There is broad public support among Pennsylvania residents for increased renewable-energy generation, according to a study recently conducted by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
A farm-safety extension educator in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has found a way to keep Amish and Mennonite children safe as they travel on the road.
Farming in the city is a hot topic in some circles, but an exact picture of urban agriculture has not yet been painted. However, researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, along with faculty from New York University, soon will begin a study to examine the state of urban agriculture in the United States today.
A Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences educational program for practicing veterinarians is contributing to healthier herds -- and healthier bottom lines.
4-H members from across the state gathered Aug. 7 at Penn State's Snider Agricultural Arena to kick-off 4-H State Achievement Days -- emphasizing "Amp It Up!," the youth organization's new community service initiative. Among the crowd was U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, of Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District, who stopped by to meet with 4-H members and wish the program a happy centennial. "You guys look really good for being 100 years old," he joked.
Penn State Extension will host a Web-based seminar on Aug. 9 exploring the ramifications of the recent court decision that struck down part of the state's recently passed law governing Marcellus Shale natural-gas development.
