Event Schedule and Official Program

Join us for an insightful webinar hosted by the Penn State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Agriculture Center of Excellence (Ag COE) in partnership with the Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP). This webinar aims to empower Pennsylvania Agricultural Producers and Small Businesses seeking guidance, support, and funding opportunities.

During this 30 min. presentation you will learn about how the WPS was created to protect the farm workers in America, and what protections to expect if you work in agriculture. This talk will be worth 1 core credit towards your pesticide license recertification. You must be present for the entire presentation to receive credit. Meeting to be held in a new location this year W906 on the APD map.

"Life in a Nest Box of American Kestrels and Barn Owls." This program will provide in depth look of the breeding behavior of two farmland raptors, the American Kestrel and Barn Owl through live nestcam footage.

This public event will be hosted by Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson of Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District and Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture. He will provide attendees with the latest updates from Washington and highlight the Committee’s work to reauthorize the Farm Bill. After, attendees are encouraged to participate in a Q&A session.

This tour will visit each of the University- Research farms at the Rock Springs Facility. Farm managers will present a brief overview of the farm history, current research, and student involvement as well as answer participant questions.

The Penn State Pullers, a student engineering design team based out of Penn State's Agricultural and Biological Engineering program, will be in our area and will highlight their ¼ scale tractor that they designed and built for the ASABE International ¼ Scale Tractor Student Design Competition. They will do presentations and demonstrations each day.

This tour features a demonstration using horses with hands-on activities in equine pastures. Producers will gain an understanding of pasture management for horses, “do’s” and “don’ts” of sacrifice areas, and tools needed to help improve equine operations. We will walk through the fields and talk about grass and weed identification, innovative pasture methods, and dry lot design for horses on limited acreage at the demonstration site.

This tour features hands-on activities with cattle on pastures. Producers will leave with an understanding of paddock fencing and watering system components, with in-depth discussion about evaluation of diverse cover crop mixes including root structure and soil health indicators. High stock-density grazing will be demonstrated with a small herd of cattle, and we will talk about the use of alternative forages for pasture production. Other topics will be soil health principles and how annual forages can be used to renovate a degraded pasture without doing tillage.

Goods From the Woods is the featured topic for this year’s easy woods walking tour. There is lots to learn about the many things we harvest and use from forests, and they are not just different types of wood! Forestry and wildlife professionals will lead the interactive tours and be on hand to answer your questions. They will also connect participants to Cooperative Extension resources about forests, wildlife, and habitat management.

Sign-up required 30 min. prior

Learn how to enhance the home garden by engaging in topics related to pollinators, native plants, soil health, composting, and establishing plants in the landscape.

Farming with a disability or long-term health condition can be challenging. Visit with AgrAbility PA to learn about assistive technology, modifications, and resources to support you in your farming career.

The LION Mobile Clinic uses a student-led free clinic model to increase access to health care and proactive health choices for under-resourced communities of Pennsylvania. The clinic’s vision is to create a healthier and more sustainable future for the rural communities. Through a mobile health initiative, LION Mobile Clinic strives to provide comprehensive healthcare services, address food insecurity, promote economic development and enhance sustainability practices. The clinic envisions a future where every individual has access to quality healthcare and healthy food options, where economic growth is driven by sustainable practices and where our communities thrive. LION Mobile aims to inspire a culture of health and wellness, while empowering individuals to take charge of their own well-being and contribute to the betterment of their communities. The clinic’s mission is to improve the vitality of under-resourced communities of Central Pennsylvania through innovative and sustainable solutions at an individual and community level.

Northcentral Sight Services will be providing vision information, assistive technology examples and vision assessments.