UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Pennsylvania dairy farmers can learn how they can participate in a Penn State-led program promoting climate-smart practices by attending an Aug. 14 session during this year’s Ag Progress Days.
Project partners in CARAT — Climate-smart Agriculture that is profitable, Regenerative, Actionable, and Trustworthy — will hold an informational meeting from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, in Meeting Room W906 on West 9th Street at the Ag Progress Days site.
CARAT is a U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded pilot project led by Penn State that offers dairy producers the financial and technical help they need to adopt climate-smart practices on their farms. The program is aimed at helping producers improve dairy environmental performance and participate in climate-smart commodities markets.
Attendees at this meeting can learn why they should participate in CARAT, how to apply, what priority climate-smart practices can be funded, and how project partners will guide producers through planning, implementation and exploring market opportunities.
Speakers will include Jayne Sebright and Melissa Anderson, both of the Center for Dairy Excellence, and Matt Royer, director of Penn State’s Agriculture and Environment Center. Representatives from other CARAT partners, including Red Barn Consulting and Professional Dairy Managers of Pennsylvania, also will be on hand.
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.