Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Lots of folks get the wrong idea about pond-owner education offered by Penn State Cooperative Extension, according to Bryan Swistock. The programs have nothing to do with those ornamental backyard ponds that have become so popular these days, and everything to do with wider and serious water-quality concerns.
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Thursday, November 19, 2009
With the trend in locally raised food, the "heritage turkey" is experiencing a surge in popularity. R. Michael Hulet, associate professor of poultry science at Penn State, said many of these colorful birds (with equally colorful names such as Black Spanish, Bourbon Red, and Slate) are the commercially-bred turkeys of yesteryear. Heritage turkeys are a niche market, and "they are expensive to grow, because they don't produce as much meat per feed," said Hulet. "They allow local producers to diversify what they farm, and people say that, because they take longer to grow, there's a little more texture and 'turkey-ish' taste to the meat." (more)
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
An ongoing series of monthly, Web-based seminars addressing issues surrounding Pennsylvania's Marcellus shale natural-gas boom will continue through the winter.
Sponsored by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and Penn State Cooperative Extension, upcoming webinars will cover topics such as legal issues, post-leasing considerations for landowners, wastewater disposal options and economic impacts. (more)
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Proposed changes to Pennsylvania's effluent standards regulating total dissolved solids (TDS) and related substances could affect the state's oil and gas industries and other water users. To help citizens understand the proposed changes, Penn State Cooperative Extension has prepared a free publication, "Shaping Proposed Changes to Pennsylvania's Total Dissolved Solids Standard: A Guide to the Proposal and the Commenting Process." (more)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
It's Mike Hulet's job to talk turkeys, whether to students at Penn State's Poultry Education and Research Center or to poultry growers across Pennsylvania, one of the nation's top poultry-producing states. The associate professor of poultry science shared insights into emerging research and answers to frequently asked questions about what was almost America's national bird, and still is a central part of our nation's Thanksgiving traditions. (more)
Monday, November 16, 2009
As legislators, environmentalists and others strive to balance the many interests involved in developing the natural gas deposits contained in the Marcellus shale formation, a fierce bidding war has doubled the prices being offered for leases in Pennsylvania. The resulting competition could be a boon for landowners, according to experts in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. (more)
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Although Holly Harmar Shimizu can't remember what she thought she'd be doing 30 years after graduating from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, she realized after a recent visit to the University that she is doing what she hoped to all along: working with public horticulture. (more)
Friday, November 06, 2009
It seems like a strange concept -- bandages made from cellulose produced by microbes that contribute to wound healing -- but to hear Jeffrey Catchmark explain it, the idea makes perfect sense. Catchmark, who is co-director of the University's Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation, has developed a bandage material made from microbial cellulose that actually is absorbed by the body. (more)
Friday, November 06, 2009
Imagine you're a business owner, and one day a third of your employees can't show up for work because they are sick or caring for ill family members. How are you going to stay in operation and ensure the continuity of your business? To help small- and medium-sized businesses survive a pandemic, Penn State Cooperative Extension has developed a course that offers resources and decision-making tools.
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Monday, November 02, 2009
When plum pox was discovered in Adams County peach trees in October 1999 -- the first time the disease had been found in North America -- the nation's stone-fruit growers watched anxiously to see how Pennsylvania would respond. As the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture officially lifted the quarantine of the area's stone fruit Oct. 29 -- certifying the state as plum-pox free -- James Travis reflected on the 10-year, collaborative eradication effort and the agricultural catastrophe it averted. The virus threatened to wipe out the state's $25 million annual production of peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines and cherries. (more)
