Penn State Extension enters computer age
UNIVERSITY PARK - In just 5
months, the Pennsylvania
Cooperative Extension Service has
lifted its massive, statewide
organization-including hundreds
of extension workers with ex
pertise in most anything but
computers-into the computer
age.
Using a $1.9 million grant ap
propriated by the state in July, the
extension tips already installed 97
microcomputers in its 67 county
and four regional extension offices
around the state and at University
Park, trained at least some of the
staff in each office and developed
teams of troubleshooters and
software developers.
Specialized programs ranging
from sizing dairy ventilation
systems to monitoring local
government trends are already
under development by extension
agents and specialists throughout
the state.
Eventually, the microcomputers too,” Mincemoyer says. Penn
will be linked to a mainframe State’s University Park campus
computer at Penn State’s College will serve as a distribution center
of Agriculture, providing in- for the software, offering newly
stantaneous access to a vast store developed programs to all coun
of expertise and information. ties.
Three years in the planning, the Claudia Cross, home economist
aim of the Pennsylvania Extension f° r Bucks County, is one of the
Computer Project is “to extend the agents creating software for the
educational power of the extension microcomputers. “I feel really
service,” Thomas O. Mincemoyer, positive about this,’’ she says,
project coordinator of extension People in the counties are very
computer services, says. interested in the program because
As soon as approval came from of >ts two-fold benefits. “We can
the state legislature in July, the work more efficiently and also use
program shifted into high gear, computers as an educational tool.”
County agents came to Penn State Nancy Wagner, a family
to attend two-day computer resource management agent in the
training sessions, returning to Southwest Regional Office in New
their home offices with Macintosh Kensington is one of the 10 agents
microcomputer systems in hand. around the state who became a
“We’re not pioneers in this field, regional computer support agent,
but I think we’ll have a very up-to- “The situations I’ve encountered
date network,” Mincemoyer says, 80 f ar have been positive,” she
proclaiming it an extension says. “It seems that, at this point,
computer system that places what we need are even more
Pennsylvania among the nation’s computers.”
leaders. “We’ll be one of the first Wagner takes her Macintosh
states to have powerful computer on the road three or four
microcomputers in every county days a week to nine southwest
that can be used as either stand
alone computers or as terminals to
our own mainframe.”
“These computer resources will
also provide the framework for the
College of Agriculture to build
enhancements into its research
and resident instruction
programs,” he adds.
A team of 10 extension agents
are acting as computer support
agents, and university personnel
are “guaranteeing a 15-minute
response” to computer questions
from the offices in the counties.
Another 15 agents-with
specializations in a wide range of
extension areas and additional
computer training-are creating
software designed for the four
extension program
areas-agriculture, family living,
community development and
natural resources and 4-H/youth.
“If one agent solves a problem,
that means 66 others can now,
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counties, answering staff questions
and preparing the offices for the
future use of the computers as
resource tools to aid the public.
When the network goes on line
with a toll-free telephone line
linkup in March 1985, the benefits
will be immediate.
"Extension agents are viewed as
sources of unbiased, progressive
information,” Mincemoyer says,
"and if they want to maintain that
status, they need access to com-
Frozen dessert regulations revised
HARRISBURG - As part of its
commitment to consumer safety
and industry awareness, the
Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture has revised its
regulations governing the
production and sale of frozen
desserts in the commonwealth,
according to state Agriculture
Secretary Penrose Hallowell.
“The frozen dessert industry has
grown tremendously since the
Pennsylvania Frozen Desserts
Law was enacted in 1965. These
amendments to the existing law
were necessary to maintain the
high quality that our products have
become known for,” Hallowell
said.
“These new regulations put
Pennsylvania frozen dessert
manufacturers back in uniformity
with other states and the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration,” the
Secretary said. "This will aid our
industry, which ranks second in
the nation, by eliminating the
inefficiencies, needless expenses
and confusion caused by the dif
ferences in frozen dessert products
sold under identical names.
“By the same token, these
regulations assure consumers of
safe, wholesome, high quality
frozen desserts. And through
minimizing confusion for con
sumers, they will help promote fair
competition within the industry,”
he said.
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puter technology.” Agents will use
the network for instantaneous
electronic mail and even as a
bypass to the telephone, since the
computer linkup can be con
versational.
Besides using the network as an
internal linkup, the users may also
be able to obtain immediate
weather and market reports by the
means of an information retrieval
system. “An agent can be hooked
to Chicago to access current
The regulations spell out con
formity standards for relatively
new products such as mellonne, an
ice cream-like product made with
vegetable fat; frozen yogurt;
frozen dietary dairy desserts;
dietary frozen dessert or low-fat
frozen desserts; frozen pudding;
and Parevine, a frozen dessert
resembling ice cream but con
taining no ingredient derived from
milk or meat.
The amendments also conform
with changes in the regulations of
the Food and Drug Ad
ministration and surrounding
states. These standards address
products such as goats’ milk ice
cream, lactose reduced ice milk;
goats’ milk ice milk and non-fruit
Order 4 milk $15.50
ALEXANDRIA, VA. / Middle
Atlantic Order Market Ad
ministrator Joseph D. Shine today
announced a Class I milk price of
$15.50 per hundredweight for
January 1985. This price is up 8
cents from December and is 16
cents above last January’s Class I
price.
Mr. Shine announced a Class II
milk price of $12.80 per hun
dredweight for November and a
butterfat differential of 18.2 cents
for the month. The Class II price
increased 8 cents from the
pricings," he says.
By the time the project is
completed in June 1985, over 200
Macintosh and 35 Apple lie
computers will have been pur
chased and installed. More than
600 staff will receive hands-on
computer training. A com
munications network will be
operating. And the Pennsylvania
Extension Service will have
enhanced its status as a national
leader in education.
sherbet.
The regulations also contain
revisions to production, sanitation
and testing standards to simplify
requirements and increase the
efficiency of the state’s consumer
protection program.
“The Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture, through its Bureau
of Foods and Chemistry, is
working closely with the industry
to ensure that the consumer
continues to receive only the best
frozen desserts," said Hallowed.
Copies of the revised regulation
can be obtained by writing to the
Bureau of Foods and Chemistry,
Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture, 2301 North Cameron
Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9408.
previous month, while the but
terfat differential was unchanged.
The January Class I price and
the November. Class II price are
based on the November 1984
Minnesota-Wisconsin manufac
turing milk price of $12.72 per
hundredweight at a 3.5 percent
butterfat content.
The USDA reported that the
wholesale price of Grade A butter
at Chicago for November was
$1.5812 per pound and the nonfat
dry milk price was $.9127 per
pound, f.o.b. plants in the Chicago
area.
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