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By 2020 half of all Americans over 50 will have weak bones, making us at a higher risk for fractures. One in every five people with a hip fracture ends up in a nursing home. But, increasing age does not necessarily mean a decline in physical fitness thanks to programs like the StrongWomen™ Program. Developed by Dr. Miriam Nelson at Tufts University and delivered by Penn State Extension, this community based strength training program puts scientific research into practical application. Dramatic improvements in age associated conditions such as osteoporosis, arthritis and weight gain are being reported as a result of the program.
As Penn State researchers warned earlier this year, a new pest of grapes, berries, and tree fruit has made its way into Pennsylvania fruit orchards.
Results of the Centre County 4-H members who competed at the 2011 4-H State Achievement Days competitions
Results of Centre County 4-H members from 2011 4-H State Achievement Days
Results of the 2011 Centre County 4-H Horse and Pony Round Up
Results from the 2011 Centre County 4-H Horse and Pony Roundup
Although logging conditions were good, higher fuel prices along with a flat economy didn’t help the timber market. The western parts of the state see prices keep slipping while in the Northeast prices are a mixed bag. The only signs of higher than last quarter stumpage prices are in the Southeast where prices crept up. However, there is still a long way to go to get back to pre-recession price ranges.
All projects are on public display through noon of Saturday, August 13.
Carlisle, PA – The Cumberland County Extension Board of Directors awarded the 2011 Rosemarie Peiffer 4-H Scholarship to Hannah Jackson at their August 2, 2011 meeting.
Penn State Extension - Lehigh County has released the Farm Fresh mobile app that makes it easy for Pennsylvanians to find the abundant local food sources that surround them.
Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) was confirmed last month in Adams County by researchers from Penn State and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. SWD is a small vinegar fly with the potential to damage many fruit crops, reports Dr. David Biddinger, entomologist at the Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center. “The greatest potential for damage is probably to the many types of berry crops. ”
A new website for producers experiencing drought conditions.
I hope that you and your crops successfully made it through the last heat wave. We managed to keep the crops in our research plots well watered. As it turned out, this wasn't easy because a gasket blew in our sand filter at the beginning of the heat wave. Fortunately, we have colleagues, who are also good friends that allow us to use their sand filters until we got a replacement gasket. This article is about how high temperatures, like those of the heat wave, can affect crop yield and quality.
I don't know what location you're thinking, but I was thinking Florida or Arkansas, or some other point South (maybe). It sure doesn't feel like Pennsylvania. The growing season started out with us having our last frost in central Pennsylvania in March (really!!). That was followed by cool temperatures and constant rain which gave diseases a leg up, and then scorching temperatures and a rain-free month to make sure the insects could multiply at breakneck speed, all while the plants just sat there and accumulated symptoms. Here are a few of the newer problems we're seeing this month:
It is important to pay attention to the weather for a variety of reasons. Most growers pay attention to rain events to better time pesticide sprays. Some herbicides need a rain event to activate the product in the soil. At other times, an upcoming rain event may delay a spray as fungicides or insecticides can wash off. An equally important factor to take into consideration is temperature.
Now that spotted wing drosophila has been found in Pennsylvania (see news release at http://extension.psu.edu/ipm) at low populations, the question becomes what, if anything, should growers do about it? Spotted wing drosophila (SWD), a species of fruit fly, is problematic because tiny larvae or pupae of this pest can be present in the fruit when harvested, unlike immatures of other fruit flies. We really don’t know how high populations will become in Pennsylvania, but the risk to fruit crops will likely become greater as the season goes on. In other areas of the country where this pest is already well-established, fall raspberries and blackberries have probably suffered the most damage. Blueberries and summer raspberries have also had issues though to a lesser extent, and strawberries have probably been the least affected. An additional note of caution: So far in PA, most SWD were found in small fruit plantings near cherries, the crop in which SWD was first found, so growers with cherries nearby may want to be keep an eye out for SWD. Whether this is likely to be the situation in future years or not is not known. Management options will vary by crop, and are outlined below.
Livestock farms use nutrient management plans to match nutrient application on fields to crop removal of nutrients. This planning effort is an important part of maintaining productivity and environmental quality for these producers.
Seed grant provides research based information on fiscal impacts
Over here in Bucks County, the perception is usually that we are covered with housing developments and shopping centers due to the migration of Philadelphians from our south.
Penn State Extension - Lehigh County has released the Farm Fresh mobile app that makes it easy for Pennsylvanians to find the abundant local food sources that surround them. Pennsylvania has nearly eight million acres of farmland, and 91 percent of its farms are family-owned or sole proprietorships, according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s website. Many of these farms are small -- they average 124 acres -- and some can be hard to find if consumers don’t know they are there.
