By Chuck Gill, Penn State
UNIVERSITY PARK – The commercial side of agriculture will be on display at Penn State’s Ag Progress Days, Aug. 17-19 at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, according to Ag Progress Days manager Bob Oberheim.
“We strive to provide attendees with exposure to a wide diversity of goods and services,” Oberheim said. “Farm operators are busy people trying to run their businesses as efficiently as possible. The opportunity to see, learn about and compare the latest products and technologies, all in one place, is a big time-saver.”
He noted said Ag Progress Days will feature more than 400 exhibitors, giving farmers and others involved with production agriculture a chance to talk with vendors and find out about crop-production machinery, dairy equipment, animal housing, feed, seed, fertilizer, banking, insurance, crop consulting services and many other types of products.
Weather permitting, some of the latest models of farm equipment will be featured in daily field machinery demonstrations, which will showcase alfalfa hay mowing (10:30 a.m.), field sprayers (new for this year at 11:30 a.m.), cover-crop planting (new, 1:15 p.m.), hay rakes and tedders (1:30 p.m.), hay baling (2 p.m.) and bale-handling equipment (3 p.m.).
Another new demonstration, taking place at 12:30 p.m., will highlight horse-drawn no-till planting equipment, including drills, corn planters and transplanters.
Visitors also will learn about the hazards of manure pits at the Farm Safety Demonstration Area, where safety specialists will demonstrate manure-pit ventilation and other safety practices. The Farm Safety Area also is the place to see farm accident rescue simulations involving agricultural equipment, including emergency scene stabilization and patient extrication techniques.
In addition to goods and services, producers can see exhibits and talk to Penn State faculty and extension educators about issues, research and practices related to dairy, livestock and crop production; animal health; soil conservation; water quality; and sources of ag renewable energy such as biogas, biodiesel and ethanol.
Horse enthusiasts and owners also can get the latest information on tack and equipment, training, handling, health and business practices at the Ag Progress Days Equine Experience.
Sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State’s Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 17; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 18; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 19. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days Web site.
Twitter users can find and share information about the event by using the hashtag #agprogress.
