Complex Issues Addressed At Ag Progress Days
ROCKSPRING (Centre Co.)
Declining profitability, envi
ronmental protection, biotech
nology, globalization, and
emerging diseases these
issues present multifaceted chal
lenges to farmers, and the solu
tions can be as complex as the
issues themselves.
By visiting the College of Ag
ricultural Sciences Exhibit
Building at this year’s Ag Prog
ress Days event, Aug. 14-16, vis
itors can learn how Penn State
research and educational pro
grams are addressing these
issues. “From the Ground Up:
Building a Better Environment”
is the theme for the event,
“Ag Progress Days gives us a
chance to showcase some of the
work we’re doing to address
problems such as land and water
pollution while enhancing farm
profitability and human
health,” said Robert Steele,
dean of the College of Agricul
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 11,2001, Ag Progress Section-
tural Sciences. “Research and
education are critical to finding
our way through today’s com
plex issues to answers that work
not only for those of us who are
here, now, but also for our chil
dren and their children.”
One College Building exhibit
will focus on new uses for farm
waste products. The College of
Agricultural Sciences and the
College of Earth and Mineral
Sciences at Penn State are work
ing collaboratively on various
projects in this area. For exam
ple, plastic jugs used to store
chemicals can present a disposal
problem for farmers. But new
research is uncovering ways to
turn used farm plastics into pel
lets that can be used in manufac
turing or as a fuel source.
An innovative truck that gob
bles up plastic jugs and turns
them into a usable product will
be demonstrated at the show
visitors are encouraged to bring
empty plastic pesticide contain
ers from home to be recycled by
the machine. The exhibit also
will feature other research
aimed at turning agricultural
waste products into profit
generating biofuels that may
help to address the country’s
critical energy needs.
Visitors also will learn how
they can conserve water re
sources and take measures to
protect water wells from con
tamination. In addition, land
owners will see why wetlands
are important, both as habitat
for plant and animal species and
as buffer zones to soak up excess
farm nutrients and other pollu
tants that might otherwise con
taminate rivers and streams.
Livestock farmers will learn
how new quality assurance pro
grams can help them ensure the
safety of their food products and
find affordable and practical so
lutions to on-farm environmen
tal challenges. The programs
address a broad range of farm
practices from feed rations
and managing manure to
animal health care in a holis
tic manner. Other exhibits will
provide information about
launching profitable small farms
through niche marketing.
Presentations in the theater
area of the building will address
current health issues such as
foot-and-mouth, West Nile, and
Lyme diseases. A farm vehicle
and equipment safety workshop
and a public forum on hot topics
in today’s agriculture also are
scheduled. On Thursday morn
ing, Aug. 16, the Pennsylvania
House Agriculture and Rural
Affairs Committee will hold a
“town meeting.” Farmers and
other members of the public who
wish to discuss current issues
with committee members are
welcome to attend. Crop insur
ance issues will be addressed at
an afternoon session in the the
ater on Thursday. In addition,
visitors to the show will be able
to take home a variety of free
publications produced by the
College of Agricultural Sciences
and get information about un
dergraduate programs.
Because of concerns over the
possible transmission of foot
and-mouth disease and other
foreign animal diseases, visitors
who have been overseas within
two weeks of attending Ag Prog
ress Days are asked not to visit
the event’s live-animal exhibit
areas.
Penn State’s Ag Progress
Days,(s ftejld, at (he, Russell E.
Larson Agricultural Research
Center at Rockspring, nine
miles southwest of State College
on Rt. 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. on Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 8
p.m. on Wednesday, and 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m. on Thursday. Admis
sion and parking are free.
For more information, call
(800) PSU-1010 toll-free
through Aug. 16 or visit the Ag
Progress Days Website at http ill
apd.cas.psu.edu.
Lancaster Farming
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