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
Join us for the Extension at Home webinar series to prepare and protect your outdoor sanctuary.
Gardeners, farmers, and bee-enthusiasts are invited to join us for this informative webinar.
Learn what you can do to help our honey bees thrive all year.
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.
Spotted Lanternfly
Learn about the invasive tree-of-heaven, commonly found in Pennsylvania, and how you can use it to help control another invasive species, spotted lanternfly.
Join us for a webinar on the Spotted Lanternfly and learn what you can do to help stop the spread of this invasive species.
This webinar discusses the options you have to control spotted lanternfly based on the life cycle of the insect through the year.
Home Gardening
Expert Master Gardeners and Extension Educators from across the state answer a selection of your spring garden questions during this webinar!
Join Master Gardeners to learn best practices for growing vegetables. This webinar recording was part of the eight-week Victory Garden Reinvented! Webinar Series held in April-May 2020.
Join Master Gardeners to learn best practices for growing vegetables. This webinar recording was part of the eight-week Victory Garden Reinvented! Webinar Series held in April-May 2020.
Join Master Gardeners to learn best practices for growing vegetables. This webinar recording was part of the eight-week Victory Garden Reinvented! Webinar Series held in April-May 2020.
Join Master Gardeners to learn best practices for growing vegetables. This webinar recording was part of the eight-week Victory Garden Reinvented! Webinar Series held in April-May 2020.
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.
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.
The perfect jam requires a balance of quality fruit at the peak of ripeness, sugar and pectin. The best way to make jam is to give it a try; the video takes you through the process one step at a time.
Youth
Youth are invited to learn all about planting during this webinar.
Youth are invited to learn all about planting during this webinar!
Learn poison prevention with this youth-based webinar!
Youth will enjoy learning about seeds and germination during this webinar!
The activities available in this program nurture growth and development, and provide a glimpse into the variety of projects and programs offered to Pennsylvania 4-H members.
Animals and Livestock
Drag line manure application is attracting farmers attention in Pennsylvania. Numerous advantages can be found when compared to hauling manure in tankers.
This webinar, presented by The Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, synthesizes some of the most important agricultural legal developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This webinar, presented by The Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, provides a focus on the dairy industry and related legal developments stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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.
This webinar recording covers employer and employee workplace legal responsibilities and recommendations, to protect businesses, business owners, and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many dairy farms are experiencing economic hardships with COVID-19, facing difficult decisions including ending operation in the dairy industry. Join this live webinar for money saving tips.
Manure injection conserves the benefits of no-till while reducing soluble phosphorus in runoff caused by high phosphorus concentrations at the soil surface. Less odor and decreases in nitrogen losses are additional benefits.
Make the most of your pasture acreage using rotational grazing!
Forests and Wildlife
Amphibians and reptiles are important members of the forest community. Learn how to enhance your property for amphibian and reptilian wildlife.
Crop damage caused by deer is a reoccurring theme for farmers. Learn about the management options available to control deer populations.
Lichens are often thought to be a pest or disease to trees and shrubs.
Speaker: Mark Banker, Senior Biologist with the Ruffed Grouse Society.
Webinar presentation by Linda Wiles (Penn State Extension) and Dr. Gary San Julian (professor of Wildlife Resources).
I am a deer hunter. Now that chronic wasting disease has been found in the state, are there any precautions I should take?
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.
Learn the distinguishing characteristics of the invasive tree-of-heaven that you can use to accurately identify it.
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.
Learn how to identify types of spruce trees, symptoms of two common fungal diseases, and what if any treatments are available.
Ever wonder who assaulted your apple tree or committed a felony on your tulips? Learn crime scene investigation techniques to learn “who done it."
Learn about natural landscape habitat management during this live webinar!
Caring for forests is an important topic. Watch this virtual tour that provides answers to common questions and presents information concerning marking boundary lines, invasive plants, selling timber, and growing new forests after a tree harvest.
Agronomic Crops
Learn about the latest research results and production information for industrial hemp in Pennsylvania.
Learn about the latest research results and production information for industrial hemp in Pennsylvania.
A team of Penn State Extension Educators and Specialists received funding from the USDA's Specialty Crop Block program to study hops. Here is their effort in establishing the yard.
