If you have driven on Pennsylvania Route 45 through Centre County, you may have wondered about the stretch of road west of Pine Grove Mills that traverses through farm fields containing crops grown in small plots, a scattering of scientific instruments, various structures and buildings, and sometimes people taking measurements or collecting samples.
This is Penn State's 2,400-acre Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center, where researchers in the College of Agricultural Sciences study new technologies, develop innovative methods and refine best practices in farming, conservation and natural resources.
People who are curious about what takes place in those fields can get a sampling by taking a variety of guided tours and demonstrations offered during Penn State's Ag Progress Days, Aug. 12-14. Most of the tours will transport visitors by bus to locations around the research center, where faculty researchers and Penn State Extension specialists will show and discuss their work.
All Ag Progress Days tours are free, and all except the Water Wellhead Safety tour require tickets and leave from the corn crib near the top of Main Street at the show site. The tours, most of which involve some walking or standing, will include:
- Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center Farms (1 hour): This tour will visit the horticulture, plant pathology, agronomy and entomology research farms, where visitors will hear a brief overview of each farm's history, current research and student engagement. Farm managers will answer questions and explain why these farms are critical field laboratories for researchers in the College of Agricultural Sciences. The bus leaves at 9:30 a.m. and noon daily, with an additional tour at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
- Rural and Farm Pond Management (1 hour): Ponds are prevalent in the Pennsylvania landscape and provide enjoyment to numerous landowners. This tour is aimed at helping private pond owners make informed management choices for their ponds. Water resources educators will cover essential pond plant identification, how to conduct basic pond water quality tests, how land uses and runoff can affect ponds, and basic pond ecology. Buses to the on-site pond will leave at 9 a.m. daily.
- Organic Vegetable Production Research (1 hour): Participants will visit open-field and high-tunnel vegetable research plots and learn about fresh-market tomato and cucumber production, advantages and challenges of high tunnels compared to open-field production, organic vegetable production opportunities and challenges, and anaerobic soil disinfestation as an innovative biological method for managing soil health and soilborne pests and pathogens. Tours leave at 3 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
