Extension Briefs
Seventy percent of Pennsylvania’s forestland is held by individuals, families, hunting clubs, and other private groups. Many of the trees we see around us and enjoy are there because someone has a personal affinity for the land and its trees and a commitment to caring for them. Heirs usually want to maintain the legacy of previous generations, but often they don’t feel included in decision making and lack preparation for becoming the next forestland owner.
A new publication from Penn State Extension, Common Urban Pests: Identification, Prevention, and Control, encourages homeowners to use integrated pest management (IPM) techniques to control pest-related problems.
High Tunnels in the City High tunnels offer an inexpensive way to extend the growing season for produce. They can also help eradicate a “food desert” in the southeast corner of the state if collaboration between Penn State Extension and community partners in Philadelphia are successful.
The PAgricultural Rescue Training Program received the 2011 Rural Health Program of the Year Award from the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health. The program teaches trauma care and rescue procedures for unusual circumstances, such as accidents involving heavy farm machinery or entrapments in confined spaces.
The House Consumer Affairs Committee is considering a bill which would create standards for water well construction. Pennsylvania is currently one of just a few states that do not have statewide requirements for the construction of private water wells.
The college will lead a nationwide network to monitor and maintain honey bee health as part of the Bee Informed Partnership, a five-year, $5 million program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture with partners throughout the country.
Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) are voluntary guidelines established by the FDA and USDA in 1998. They were created with the intent of identifying potentially hazardous situations and taking preventive steps to avoid product contamination altogether, rather than having producers react to problems that occur, which could prove financially disastrous to a farm.
A recent proposal from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to declare the eastern cougar extinct takes on a special significance at Penn State, where the Nittany Lion has been the University’s mascot since 1904. Many wildlife biologists believe that native populations of the big cat were wiped out a century ago.
As the new director, Calvin will oversee the continuing implementation of an organizational restructuring aimed at enhancing the value and relevance of extension programs for Pennsylvania's citizens and other stakeholders.
Nearly two decades ago, Penn State researchers helped egg producers in the Keystone State implement a program called the Pennsylvania Egg Quality Assurance Program (PEQAP) to guard against egg contamination. During a recent national Salmonella scare, consumers found Pennsylvania-produced eggs safer to eat.
To help curb childhood obesity in Pennsylvania, extension uses an afterschool course that targets children who are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight by educating kids and their families about the benefits of exercise and healthful eating.
A survey of people in 21 Pennsylvania counties and eight New York counties—a region some refer to as “the Marcellus Fairway”—looks at how much they know about efforts to extract natural gas from the Marcellus shale and whether or not they support such efforts.
Seven members in the college receive an award from the USDA for their efforts to help eradicate the plum pox virus in Pennsylvania. Prior to its eradication, the aphid-spread virus had threatened to wipe out the state’s $25 million annual production of stone fruit, which includes cherries, peaches, plums, and apricots.
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Since 2005 Tom Murphy has met with more than 40,000 people in more than 200 public meetings. He is no stranger to Marcellus shale issues, and his work in this area has brought recognition from the governor of Pennsylvania.
Looking at ways to bring high-speed Internet access to 2.8 million rural residents and businesses that still can't get to the information superhighway.
An army of volunteers makes it possible for Penn State Cooperative Extension to deliver on their educational goals.
Penn State Cooperative Extension and EDEN co-develop Pandemic Preparedness for Business, a free, two-hour online course to help extension educators nationwide advise businesses on how to prepare for a pandemic.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture certifies the state as plum pox free when the stone fruit quarantine on peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, and cherries in four counties is lifted.
Two USDA grants support programs to help would-be farmers figure out personal goals and resources, a market, and the best product for it and beginning women farmers overcome barriers like capital costs.