UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Visitors to the Pasto Agricultural Museum during Penn State’s Ag Progress Days, Aug. 10-12, can explore the intersection of science and history.
“During the show, we will connect our agricultural past with present-day practice and research around food, environment and renewable resources,” said the museum’s curator, Rita Graef. “Programs at the museum will immerse visitors in thinking about our food and fiber systems and natural resources. The museum provides an opportunity to explore important issues facing agriculture and the environment in a historical context.”
The Pasto Museum’s exhibits, programs, demonstrations and tours provide an understanding of local and regional history, where food comes from, and the inventions and technology that have made food production on a large scale possible.
“The museum collection focuses on what life was like and how work was done before gasoline engines and rural electrification,” Graef said.
The museum will be open during Ag Progress Days from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday.
In addition to Ag Progress Days, the Pasto Agricultural Museum will be open, starting in September, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., by appointment, and for special programming. On Aug. 5 and Sept. 2, in partnership with the College of Agricultural Sciences’ Agriculture and Environment Center, the museum will offer special watershed-related programs.
In October, the museum will partner with Schlow Regional Library to host “Research Unplugged — On the Go” lectures featuring College of Agricultural Sciences researchers and their work. More information is available at agsci.psu.edu/pasto.
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. 10; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 11; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 12. Admission and parking are free.
For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days website. Twitter users can find and share information about the event by using the hashtag #agprogressdays, and the event also can be found on Facebook (@AgProgressDays).
–Jeff Mulhollem, Penn State University
