UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Pond management, livestock research and organic vegetable production systems will be among the topics highlighted during research and educational tours at Penn State's 2024 Ag Progress Days, Aug. 13-15 at Rock Springs.
Most of the tours will transport visitors by bus to locations around Penn State's 2,400-acre Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center, where researchers in the College of Agricultural Sciences study technologies and best practices in farming, conservation and natural resources.
All Ag Progress Days tours are free, and all except the Water Wellhead Safety tour require tickets, which can be obtained at the departure point at the corn crib near the top of Main Street at the show site. The tours, most of which involve some walking or standing, will include:
• Rural and Farm Pond Management (1 hour): Ponds are prevalent in the Pennsylvania landscape and provide enjoyment to numerous landowners. This tour — new for 2024 — is aimed at helping private pond owners make informed management choices for their ponds. Water resources educators will cover essential pond plant identification, how to conduct basic pond water quality tests, how land uses and runoff can affect ponds, and basic pond ecology. Buses to the on-site pond will leave at 9 a.m. daily.
• Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center Farms (1 hour): This tour will visit the horticulture, plant pathology, agronomy and entomology research farms, where visitors will hear a brief overview of each farm’s history, current research and student engagement. Farm managers will answer questions and explain why these farms are critical field laboratories for researchers in the College of Agricultural Sciences. The bus leaves at 9:30 a.m. and noon daily, with an additional tour at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
• Organic Vegetable Production Research (1 hour): Participants will visit open-field and high-tunnel vegetable research plots and learn about fresh-market tomato and cucumber production, advantages and challenges associated with the use of high tunnels compared to open field production, organic vegetable production opportunities and challenges, and anaerobic soil disinfestation as an innovative biological method for managing soil health and soilborne pests and pathogens. Tours leave at 3 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
• Animal Research (1.5 hours): This tour will take visitors to the nearby Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Livestock Evaluation Center to see crossbred beef X dairy steers and heifers and learn about the current marketplace for these cattle. Participants also will get a window tour of the center’s remodeled swine facilities, hear an overview of modern swine production and learn about the American Berkshire Association Progeny Test. Buses leave at 2 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m. and noon Wednesday, and 10 a.m. Thursday.
• Forest Management: Goods From the Woods (1.5 hours): Explore the Penn State Demonstration Woodlot and learn about the many things we harvest and use from forests besides wood. Forestry and wildlife professionals will lead this interactive tour, answer questions and connect visitors with Penn State Extension resources related to forests, wildlife and habitat management. The tour leaves at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Wednesday.
• Multifunctional Stream Buffers and Native Grasses (1.5 hours): Learn how planting and maintaining trees, shrubs and grasses to create a multifunctional stream buffer can improve water quality, wildlife and pollinator habitat, livestock health, and property value, while providing edible or medicinal plants. Demonstration livestock practices such as fencing and stream crossings will be on display, and experts will discuss available financial assistance programs. This tour, which visits a new site this year, leaves at 11:30 a.m. daily.
• Managing Equine Pastures and Drylots (1 hour): This tour features a demonstration using horses with hands-on activities in equine pastures. Learn about the do’s and don’ts of sacrifice areas, tools to help improve equine operations, grass and weed identification, innovative pasture methods, and drylot design for horses on limited acreage. The tour will depart at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; and 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Thursday.
• Managing Livestock Pastures with Alternative Forages (1 hour): Producers will gain an understanding of paddock fencing and watering system components, the use of alternative forages for pasture production, and evaluating cover crop mixes by looking at root structure and soil health indicators. High stock density grazing will be demonstrated with a small herd of cattle, and experts will discuss how annual forages can be used to renovate a degraded pasture without tillage. Buses leave at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; and 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Thursday.
• Water Wellhead Safety (30 minutes): This walking tour and demonstration will highlight how to keep your well water safe for your family and your livestock. The Penn State Extension Water Resources Team will take visitors to three nearby wellheads, where they will discuss proper wellhead inspection, use of a sanitary well cap and setting up a zone of protection around your well. No tickets are required for this tour, which leaves at 1 p.m. daily from booth J411 in the J.D. Harrington Building near the end of East 5th Street.
Those who can't attend the annual expo still can get a flavor for research at the Larson Ag Research Center by viewing online virtual tours that are available anytime.
Sponsored by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, 9 miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 13; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 14; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 15. Admission and parking are free.
For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days website. The official hashtag for social media is #agprogressdays, and the event also can be found on Facebook (@AgProgressDays).