All things agriculture on display during Penn State Ag Progress Days. Here’s what to know

The state’s largest outdoor agricultural exposition kicks off next week. The three-day Penn State Ag Progress Days that starts Aug. 8 brings in hundreds of exhibitors, a wealth of educational opportunities and family-friendly activities, for something everyone can enjoy, regardless of connection to the agricultural industry — and admission and parking are both free.

“Where can you come to a show like this and have free parking and free admission right here in Centre County?” posed Jesse Darlington, Ag Progress Days manager. “We’re pretty proud of that.”

Even those who can’t be swayed by the free parking and admission can still experience the event from afar. In 2020, the event moved to a virtual platform, with a hybrid model following in 2021, and virtual event components remain, giving visitors who can’t attend the show in person a glimpse of what they’re missing via recorded live demonstrations, webinars and Facebook Live livestreams. Still, those virtual offerings hardly put a damper on in-person attendance numbers for 2022, with attendance springing back following the pandemic, returning to the annual average of around 46,000 visitors over three days.

So what can in-person attendees expect at this year’s Ag Progress Days?

For those keen to learn about the hottest topics in agriculture, there’s plenty on tap, including drone demonstrations and presentations on spotted lanternfly spread, biodiversity, the avian flu, workforce development and more.

“Drones are being used more and more in agriculture. With the drones that we’re going to be showing, not only can you go out and scout your crop fields, but you can go out and spray fields as well,” Darlington said.

Educational aspects of the event that aren’t quite so industry-specific attract families and children with a range of interests, whether they’re touring the Pasto Agricultural Museum, visiting the butterfly tent, or chatting with Penn State’s Master Gardeners. Cooking demonstrations cover topics like preserving produce, but also demos for basic recipes attendees can replicate at home. Visitors will even find free health screenings, including blood pressure readings, vision screenings and liver screenings, offered in the Rural Health and Safety Tent.

“Our show not only is focused on those in the industry, but it’s also there for those that aren’t, in order to educate them about what we do in the industry,” Darlington said. “There are cooking opportunities. There are equine activities. A six-horse hitch is on-site. Our Master Gardeners have different displays on gardening and pollinators. At the butterfly tents, people can go in and see monarch butterflies. We have a corn maze.”

Research tours are one of the few limited-capacity activities at Ag Progress Days. The research tours, conducted via bus and on foot, give attendees a look into the various research conducted at Penn State’s Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center throughout the year. The expert-led tours, though free, do require a ticket, which can be procured once on site.

While so many aspects of the event are free, Darlington does recommend bringing cash or credit card to support one particular good cause.

“There will be multiple food vendors who are all nonprofit organizations that generate income that goes right back into the industry,” he said. “This show is focused clearly on agriculture and the industry, and support for those involved in the industry.”

However, whatever visitors see or do at Ag Progress Days, Darlington hopes to accomplish one thing.

“We want to show our visitors exactly what’s involved in agriculture. We want to show them the process that farmers go through and how much is involved in agriculture and where their food comes from,” he said. “It’s a pretty elaborate system and the farmers in it are great businesspeople.”

Ag Progress Days takes place Tuesday, Aug. 8, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Wednesday, Aug. 9, 9 a.m.–7 p.m.; and Thursday, Aug. 10, 9 a.m.– 4 p.m. at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center, 2710 West Pine Grove Road, Pennsylvania Furnace. A full schedule for the event can be found at agsci.psu.edu/apd.