Penn State Extension, Mercer County

03/19/2026

Happy 4-H week!! Thank you for the hard work of our educators and our 4-H volunteers!

On Thursday, the Board of Commissioners recognized local 4-H members and passed a proclamation honoring 4-H week which will be commemorated later this month. The 4-H program teaches leadership, responsibility, and community service to many youth in our county and across Pennsylvania. We are proud to support this program, the youth, and the many volunteers who make it happen.
Mercer County PA
Mercer County 4-H

03/07/2026

Check out this upcoming webinar on cut flower research. Follow the link for more information.

Join us for an in-depth look at on-farm cut flower research!

⏰ March 30 | 6:00 – 7:00 PM ET

Extension Educators Margaret Pickoff and Glen Bupp will be joined by Jennie Love of Love ‘N Fresh Flowers in Philadelphia to share insights from their Northeast SARE–funded project.

You’ll learn:
🌿 How the project was developed
🌿 What it takes to collect meaningful data on a working farm
🌿 Next steps for advancing practical, research-based strategies for cut flower growers

Registration is required to receive the live webinar link: https://ow.ly/C4PG50YmYRJ

03/07/2026

Thankful for the continued support of the Commissioners! 4-H is the premier youth development organization in the country and the support of our commissioners keeps this program strong in Mercer!

Penn State Extension Mercer County 4-H

On Thursday, the Board of Commissioners recognized local 4-H members and passed a proclamation honoring 4-H week which will be commemorated later this month. The 4-H program teaches leadership, responsibility, and community service to many youth in our county and across Pennsylvania. We are proud to support this program, the youth, and the many volunteers who make it happen.
Mercer County PA
Mercer County 4-H

02/25/2026

4-H educator Tiffany Morris is working with Penn State Shenango students Kenzie Ulan and Raelin Dennis to bring 4-H curriculum to students at Farrell Area School District. Health Rocks is a healthy living program designed for youth to learn behavior effects of drugs, health consequences of drug use, decision making, and much more. Thank you to everyone involved in helping to make a positive impact on our youth!

Penn State Extension

Penn State Shenango students Raelin Dennis and Kenzie Ulan, along with Tiffany Morris from the Penn State Extension in Mercer County, are collaborating on the 4-H "Health Rocks!" program for the Farrell Area School District.

01/30/2026

Western Winter Beef Meeting Lineup!!

Please join us for this 3-part in-person workshop series held at two different locations in Western PA. Please see below for specific information on each topic!

To Intervene or not Intervene⏳: Join Dr. Adrian Barragan to learn calving signs and hands-on strategies with a live Iron Cow demonstration for confident intervention.
https://extension.psu.edu/western-winter-beef-meetings-to...

Strategies for Treating Calves🩹: Learn about emerging respiratory disease trends, evolving pathogens, and effective management strategies to improve calf health and strengthen herd resilience.
https://extension.psu.edu/western-winter-beef-meeting...

Maximizing Hay Quality🌾: Explore how fertility, planting, and equipment decisions influence hay quality and learn strategies to produce higher-quality forage for healthier, more productive livestock.
https://extension.psu.edu/western-winter-beef-meetings...

Western Winter Beef Meeting Lineup

Please join us for this 3-part in-person workshop series held at two different locations in Western PA. Please see below for specific information on each topic!

To Intervene or not Intervene⏳: Join Dr. Adrian Barragan to learn calving signs and hands-on strategies with a live Iron Cow demonstration for confident intervention.
https://extension.psu.edu/western-winter-beef-meetings-to-intervene-or-not-intervene

Strategies for Treating Calves🩹: Learn about emerging respiratory disease trends, evolving pathogens, and effective management strategies to improve calf health and strengthen herd resilience.
https://extension.psu.edu/western-winter-beef-meeting-strategies-for-treating-calves

Maximizing Hay Quality🌾: Explore how fertility, planting, and equipment decisions influence hay quality and learn strategies to produce higher-quality forage for healthier, more productive livestock.
https://extension.psu.edu/western-winter-beef-meetings-maximizing-hay-quality

01/21/2026

01/15/2026

Try out Tilva! Penn State Extension's new AI Assistant.

You may have caught a glimpse already, but now it’s official.

Meet Tilva, Penn State Extension’s new AI assistant ready to answer your ag questions 24/7. 🌐

The name is inspired by cultivation—of land and of learning—and reflects an AI assistant built to grow and evolve over time.

Access trusted expertise, identify pests and plants from your uploaded photos, gain insights based on real-time local weather and soil data, and more.

Get started by asking questions now: ai.extension.psu.edu

11/14/2025

Make sure to follow the "Agronomy highlights" podcast for some fantastic agronomist content!

🤔 Did you know our team has a podcast? 🎙️🎧

In our latest episode of “Agronomy Highlights”, we discuss wheat fertility and more with Dr. Edwin Ritchey, Extension Professor of soil and nutrient management with the University of Kentucky.

👏 If you’re a follower, great, and thank you for the support! 👏

⚠️ Not a follower of the podcast? Drop us one, it’s free! 🆓

👉🖲️Just tap the follow button ✅ wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube) or use the link in our bio.

And leave us a 5 ⭐️ review to help us reach more listeners🎧

Click below for the episode:

🔗 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agronomy-highlights/id1642352776?i=1000734107500

🔗 https://open.spotify.com/episode/7MSIo8iIpevOckb6vZ1OJl?si=QrHiuKC2QWWOg8got3IjQg

🔗 https://youtu.be/vEVtyPsZVXU?si=lipe_O-iLI8LS03y

11/06/2025

10/31/2025

Most poultry are raised for food, so today's career spotlight focuses on food scientists!

Laboratory analysis of poultry products is important for maintaining accurate nutrition labels. The nutrient content of a product will influence how it is used and how much of it is recommended by dieticians and other nutrition professionals.

Food safety is also a big part of food science. Testing can be done to determine if harmful pathogens, chemicals, or other contaminants are present in the food. The shelf life of a product will also be tested under different conditions.

The development and testing of different products also falls under food science and technology. Consumer preferences and trends can influence which products are on the shelves. In turn, poultry producers may choose to specialize in raising birds that provide eggs or meat that will be used for those market needs. Some examples include:
-nuggets and patties
-enriched eggs
-microwaveable meals
-dried powders, seasonings
-stocks and broths
-sausages and marinated meats..and more!
Nutrient content, food safety, texture, color, odor, and taste are some factors that affect the success of a product.

If you are interested in learning more about poultry careers or starting your own poultry operation, Penn State Extension can help get you started with education opportunities and resources!

10/25/2025