UNIVERSITY PARK – Organizers have begun preparations for Penn State’s 2022 Ag Progress Days exposition, which will be held Aug. 9-11 in Centre County.
Sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences, the expo is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, located 9 miles southwest of State College on state Route 45. Admission and parking are free.
Jesse Darlington, Ag Progress Days manager, said the event is designed to appeal to farm operators, home gardeners, conservationists, youth and families, woodland owners, horse enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the science behind agricultural production and natural resource management.
Ag Progress Days typically features more than 500 commercial and educational exhibitors. Commercial exhibits will showcase the latest ag-related goods and services, and field demonstrations will feature the newest models of farm machinery in action.
Interactive educational displays and workshops will highlight the latest science-based practices, and visitors can take guided tours to see some of the research underway at the surrounding, 2,100-acre Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center.
Darlington noted that the College of Agricultural Sciences Exhibits Building and Theater will provide a hub for expert information and presentations on animal health, including avian influenza, vector-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, and climate-smart agriculture.
Faculty and Penn State Extension educators also will be on hand throughout the grounds to answer questions and provide information on crop, dairy, livestock and equine production; conservation practices; integrated pest management; woodlot management; farm safety; foods and nutrition; home gardening; 4-H youth programs; and other topics.
Other planned activities and attractions include food demonstrations, a sunflower maze, horse exhibitions and clinics, wildlife displays, children’s activities, exhibits of antique farm and home implements in the Pasto Agricultural Museum, and a wide variety of food booths.
Ag Progress Days hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 9; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 10; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 11.
–Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
