On-Demand Resources from Penn State Extension
View short videos and recorded webinars
Penn State Extension is a modern educational organization dedicated to delivering science-based information to people, businesses, and communities. Click on any of the resources below to view a recorded webinar or video provided by our expert educators.
Pollination
Learn about how honey bees and Spotted Lanternflies interact during this on-demand webinar!
This webinar is all about Pennslvania bees and open to gardeners, farmers, and bee-enthusiasts.
Join us to learn what flowers bees prefer when they collect nectar for pollination.
Gardeners, farmers, and bee-enthusiasts are invited to join us for this informative webinar.
Learn what to plant in your garden to bring the pollinators to your yard in this live webinar!
Learn what you can do to help our honey bees thrive all year.
Learn about each step of the bee's life cycle during this informative live webinar.
This webinar will introduce you to the mason bee life cycle, and provide instruction on where, when, and how to manage them sustainably and responsibly.
Join us for this live webinar to learn all about queen bee rearing!
Commercial Vegetable Production
Tomato harvest was in full swing during a recent visit to Earl Lake's Farm.
This 2017 growing season we've been following potato planting and harvesting at Huntsinger Farms Inc.
We met up with Kris Rutko and Jared Maurer at Huntsinger Farms to see early potatoes being harvested.
Huntsinger Farm Inc. in Hegins, Pennsylvania specializes in potato production, packing, and wholesale marketing.
Ulmer Farms is a 1,200-acre farm in Clinton County where Seth and Liz Ulmer have been growing soybeans, corn, processing tomatoes, and processing snap beans since 2001.
In September, 2016 we met with Scott Hoffman, Field Manager with Furmano's, for a tour of Furmano's processing plant in Northumberland, Pennsylvania.
In May, 2016 we visited with Scott Hoffman, Field Manager with Furmano's, a tomato grower and packer that was started by JM and Emma Furman in 1921.
Home Gardening
Not sure where to begin? In this session, experts discuss site selection, soil, mulch, starting plants, and vegetable families. Even experienced gardeners may pick up some valuable tips.
Learn how to construct a raised bed and expand production in the vegetable garden. Experts also discuss how to fertilize, irrigate (water), and manage insects and weeds.
Find out more about growing onions, carrots, beets, and several types of greens.
Peas, beans, and potatoes are on the menu of this how-to-grow webinar session!
Join us for the Extension at Home webinar series to prepare and protect your outdoor sanctuary.
Expert Master Gardeners and Extension Educators from across the state answer a selection of your spring garden questions during this webinar!
Home Food Preservation
Fruits have varying levels of acidity. The higher the acid level the better the gelling process, low acid fruits require additional acid to obtain a good gel.
Learn about the Four Core Principles of Food Safety to prevent foodborne illness.
Far too often, good food goes bad before we get the chance to eat it. This video highlights simple methods to reduce food waste and lower your grocery bill.
Ripeness and type of fruit determine a fruit's pectin content, both critical ingredients to making jam and jelly with a firm, tender texture, and excellent flavor.
Low methoxyl pectin, if correctly used, will create a gel in the absence of sugar and acid for those desiring jams and jelly containing less sugar.
Commercial products are available that create a gel without sugar. Low and no sugar jam and jelly will have different characteristics than regular jam or jelly.
Following proper procedure is critical to prevent jam or jelly from becoming grainy. This video describes causes as well as tips to prevent crystal formation.
This video describes the possible causes of jam and jelly not gelling or setting, as well as tips to prevent this from happening.
Raw meat can contain harmful bacteria that can lead to food-borne illness when not handled and prepared properly. Follow these practices to ensure that you, your friends, and family enjoy a safe meal.
Youth
Bees are one of our most precious resources. They have a very important job pollinating flowers. This series is all about bees, pollination, and things we can do to help our friends, the bees.
All plants start off life as seeds. Those seeds will grow into plants. In this series, learn the process and details of how seeds grow into plants!
It’s important to know the differences between pests and helpful animals or insects. It’s also important to learn about poison and poison control. This series focuses on pest education and poison prevention
There are many parts to a plant. This series covers the tops, bottoms, and middles of plants. The series will also cover what these parts are called and what jobs they do.
Plants play an important role in our lives. This series explores the impact that plants have on our day to day routines.
Animals and Livestock
In this video, you will learn how to perform a simple mastitis test called the California Mastitis Test. This test will help to decrease mastitis on your farm.
In recent years, the use of beef semen to breed dairy cows has increased at a dramatic rate. This video will explore a research program designed to investigate the outcomes of those crossbred matings, the calves.
Discuss the benefits and environmental risks of horse manure on pastures during this informative event!
Learn ways to protect your horses from tick bites this summer!
This video provides insight into the expected behavior and health of a newborn lamb. Close observation helps to ensure lambs are healthy and consuming enough milk.
The Penn State Particle Size Separator (PSPS) is an effective tool to help determine proper particle length and feed distribution in dairy rations and forage samples.
Knowing a little about what is happening to the sow and piglets during farrowing can help farmers better care for their breeding swine herd, and improve piglet care during the birthing process.
Make the most of your pasture acreage using rotational grazing!
In this video, you will learn about an easy test that can be performed on your farm to test if overmilking is occuring. With these results you can monitor unit removal as well as adjust unit take off to reduce stress on teat ends.
Forests and Wildlife
Lichens are often thought to be a pest or disease to trees and shrubs.
Systematically survey egg masses of Lymantria dispar, or spongy moth (formerly "gypsy moth"), in fall and winter to assess the risk of damage next spring and decide whether aerially spraying control agents is worthwhile.
Invasive shrubs are especially difficult to eradicate. Learn when and how to apply control measures, including herbicides, to control these undesirable plants.
Learn about sharpening chainsaws during this webinar.
A behind the scenes and "inside the box" view of the secret and busy life of a nesting bluebird.
A common form of timber cutting in Pennsylvania and many other states is known as high-grading. This practice is sometimes called "select", or "selective" cutting as it removes only the most valuable timber and leaves the rest in the woods.
This publication is intended to help landowners understand some of the complex decisions around timber harvesting, and ensure a successful timber sale.
Tree-of-heaven is especially difficult to eliminate. Learn when and how to apply control measures, including herbicides, to eradicate this prolific tree.
As part of their ownership goals, woodland owners may want or need to harvest trees from their woods. Understanding the value of those trees is generally the first step in the process.
After lumber is sawn from the log it must be dried before it can be put into use. The forest products industry spends a lot of time and money to dry lumber and this video explains the reasons why.
Agronomic Crops
Industrial hemp is reported to have hundreds, if not thousands of uses. Penn State Extension educators spend some time with growers on their farms looking at hemp growing for CBD extraction.
Join us to learn how to reduce risk to your hemp business in these changing times.
Learn how to identify poison hemlock, a toxic weed, growing in Pennsylvania.
Avoid costly docking at the mill and grain fumigation expenses by taking the steps necessary to prevent a stored grain pest infestation.
Health and Wellness
Learn about the DASH eating plan and how to follow this heart healthy way of eating.
Learn about the DASH eating plan food groups, the recommended number of servings needed each day and the serving sizes, based on a 2000 calorie-a-day diet.
This video explains the new nutrition facts panel on food products.
Learn about new research in healthy aging and strategies for aging well.
During this informative event, you will learn new strategies and resources to help deal with difficult situations.
Learn how kinship families are identified, certified, and can receive a stipend to care for grandchildren from Children & Youth Services.
Challenges and support resources for families facing kinship care.
Join us for this informative event and get your questions about physical and legal custody of children held by grandparents answered!
Lifelong Improvements through Fitness Together (LIFT) is an educational program for older adults to promote balance, flexibility, and strength training to improve functional fitness.
Water Resources
In Pennsylvania, the area of agricultural land disturbance determines if a farm needs an Agricultural Erosion and Sediment Control Plan (Ag E&S Plan). Learn more about why these are important, if your farm needs a plan, and available resources.
Learn to use FISH online tools for monitoring stream health, stream changes and updates.
Join us for the Extension at Home webinar series to prepare and protect your outdoor sanctuary.
Join us for the Extension at Home webinar series to prepare and protect your outdoor sanctuary.
Learn all about water use, conservation, and testing during this live webinar!
This video will walk you through how to use the Penn State drinking water test kit to successfully analyze the quality of your drinking water.
Learn about harmful algae blooms and their possible toxins during this live webinar.
Manure is a great resource for farms because it contains valuable nutrients that benefit growing crops.
A riparian buffer involves planting or retaining trees, shrubs, or tall grasses along the banks of rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds.
This video discusses various steps homeowners can take to solve or treat bacteria problems in wells, springs and cisterns used for drinking water.
Learn how to manage your property to protect our waterways and how to apply to have your property officially certified!
There are lots of ways that you can be actively involved in ensuring clean water for you and your family and for the environment.
Vector-borne Diseases
Join us for the Extension at Home webinar series to prepare and protect your outdoor sanctuary.
Learn ways to protect your horses from tick bites this summer!
This live webinar will discuss tick development, hosts, and where ticks are found.
Attend this Live webinar to learn how to protect yourself from ticks and other vector-borne diseases this hunting season!
Tick prevention, treatment, and more will be covered in this Live webinar.
Ticks carry diseases that can greatly affect the health of your pets. Learn how to protect your pets from tick-borne diseases during this informative webinar.
Learn how to prevent tick bites during this live webinar!
Protect your working dogs by learning about different types of ticks to look out for, how to prevent tick bites on your dog, and how to protect yourself!
Join our informative webinar to learn how to protect you and your family from tick bites while still enjoying your backyard this season!
Learn how to control ticks in your herd with this webinar.
Learn about the basics of vector-borne diseases in Pennsylvania during this live webinar.
