UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Ag Progress Days is back with a full schedule of demonstrations, activities and learning for agriculture enthusiasts of all ages, including the latest in tech, an expansive trade show and activities for kids of all ages.
The expo will take place Aug. 13-15 at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs in Ferguson Township, Centre County.
Ag Progress Days is one of the largest agricultural expos in the East, featuring nearly 500 commercial and educational exhibits, crop displays, machinery demonstrations, guided research tours, family and youth activities, horse exhibitions, workshops, and the Pasto Agricultural Museum. There also are plenty of food vendors offering hot sandwiches, lemonade, ice cream and fried fare, among other treats.
The event typically attracts as many as 45,000 visitors from across Pennsylvania and beyond to immerse themselves in the science and business of agriculture.
College of Agricultural Sciences Exhibits Building
Cutting-edge technologies for agriculture and living systems will be the focus of this year’s College of Agricultural Sciences Exhibits Building. Displays and presentations will highlight advancements in research and extension changing the agricultural landscape. Troy Ott, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences, emphasized the transformative impact of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, sensors and biotechnology.
Exhibits will showcase how the college’s researchers and extension personnel are pioneering the development and deployment of these technologies to drive economic growth in the commonwealth, while protecting landscapes for future generations.Faculty members and Penn State Extension educators will address several other topics in a series of displays, including animal health — including highly pathogenic avian influenza — and the latest information about the invasive spotted lanternfly. Presentations in the theater will cover native bee pollinator research, avian flu in dairy cattle, soil health and microbes, and other topics.
Trade Show
The latest agricultural goods, services, equipment and technology will be available for browsing at more than 400 commercial and educational exhibits, along with various field demonstrations and workshops.
Exhibitors will cover nearly every product category, including field machinery, milking systems, animal genetics, storage structures, feed, tools, trailers, sprayers, mixers, livestock housing, utility vehicles, fertilizers, fencing, financial products and insurance.
Kids’ Activities
There will be no shortage of things to do for even the expo’s youngest visitors. The 4-H Youth Building will introduce kids of all ages to the state’s 4-H program, dairy product knowledge, raising rabbits and poultry, and what makes plants sick.
Other activities throughout the grounds will include the Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center wildlife tent, corn maze, kids’ tractor pulls, a butterfly house and hands-on exhibits in the Pasto Agricultural Museum.
Tours
Pond management, livestock evaluation, organic vegetable production systems and an overview of Penn State agricultural field research will be among the topics highlighted during research and educational tours. Most tours will transport visitors by bus to locations around the 2,400-acre Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center, where researchers in the College of Agricultural Sciences study technologies and best practices in farming, conservation and natural resources.
All Ag Progress Days tours are free, and all except the Water Wellhead Safety tour require tickets, which can be obtained at the departure point at the corn crib near the top of Main Street at the show site.
Agricultural Safety and Health
Visitors at the Agricultural Safety Area and the Rural Health and Safety Tent will be able to explore safety topics central to the everyday lives of farmers, farm workers and their families. Live demonstrations on Tuesday and Thursday will highlight the hazards of all-terrain vehicles and ways to minimize the risk of rollovers. Wednesday will feature first responders demonstrating rescue techniques employed during farm-related emergencies.
Experts will also be on hand to answer agricultural safety and health questions; offer solutions to increase the visibility of farm equipment on the roadways; cover how to help someone bleeding from a serious injury; provide free health screenings, activities and information; and more.
Food, Families and Communities
At the Family Room building, Penn State Extension educators will staff exhibits with a focus on healthy living through food, physical activity, food safety, stress management, “Mr. Yuk” poison prevention, vector-borne diseases and tick protection, and sun safety.
Daily talks and food demonstrations will highlight ways to support your health and well-being, prepare healthy recipes, and use safe home food preservation techniques.
Crops, Soils and Conservation Area
Specialists will be on hand at the J.D. Harrington Crops, Soils and Conservation Building to answer questions about crop production, weed identification, water quality and renewable energy. Visitors can ask questions about crop and nutrient management, no-till practices, organic farming and sustainable agriculture, and even bring weeds for experts to identify.
Exhibits and activities will feature crop management, renewable energy, conservation education and planting demonstrations, as well as the signature hay show and the “A-Maze-N-Corn” corn maze.
Yard and Garden Advice
Experts — including Penn State Extension Master Gardeners, extension educators, and specialists in horticulture, entomology and plant pathology — will be on hand to answer questions and offer consultations in the Yard and Garden Area. Master Gardeners from across the state can answer landscape and garden questions at the “Ask a Master Gardener” table.
Visitors can tour the demonstration gardens and learn about native plants, soil health, plant establishment and composting, as well as explore a butterfly house to learn about pollinators and the plants that attract them. The Bee Tent will feature an observation beehive with information about bees that are native to Pennsylvania, and the nearby Vegetable Tent will showcase various potato varieties growing in the soil and freshly dug tubers.
The Equine Experience
The Equine Experience features crowd-favorite demonstrations for everyone from casual spectators to avid horse enthusiasts. Over the three-day event, visitors can attend demonstrations and interact with Penn State equine science faculty and staff to learn about horse health and care.
Located at the top of Main Street at the Ag Progress Days site, the Equine Arena and Equine Exhibits Building will showcase the versatility of horses. Events will include a demonstration of horse logging, breed clinics, riding demonstrations, and the Keystone Dressage and Combined Drill Team. The Wednesday Evening Extravaganza will include a six-horse hitch from Spring Mount Percherons followed by a miniature horse jumping derby.
Pasto Agricultural Museum
The Pasto Agricultural Museum offers hands-on exhibits to connect visitors to their agricultural and rural past. The approximately 1,300 items in the collection span from 4,000 B.C. to the 1940s — before the widespread use of electricity and gasoline-powered equipment — when farm and household work was accomplished with the muscle power of people and animals.
Location, dates and times
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. Admission and parking are free. Dates and hours are:
- Aug. 13, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Aug. 14, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Aug. 15, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days website.