Open Now! Virtual 2021 PA Farm Show Jan. 9-16; Highlights Of Educational, Environmental, Energy Events

The first-ever virtual 2021 PA Farm Show is now open!  It will run January 9 to 16.  Come on it and join the fun!  And educational opportunities!

The schedule includes--

-- Live ducking pound and beehive cams;

-- STEM demonstrations that can be recreated at home with kids;

-- 4-H demonstrations;

-- DIY plant-based projects and activities;

-- a Cultivating Tomorrow panel discussion series; and

-- even bedtime stories with an agricultural theme!

In addition to live and pre-recorded events that will be featured on the PA Farm Show Facebook page and the Pennsylvania Cable Network, the Farm Show will host Virtual Exhibits at the PA Farm Show webpage. 

Click Here for the entire schedule and how to view the events.

Jan. 13 Town Hall

Join College of Agricultural Sciences Dean Rick Roush and Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding for a live event to learn more about the latest developments in Pennsylvania agriculture. 

This Town Hall Meeting will be held January 13 starting at 10:00 a.m.

During this town-hall-style meeting you will learn more about the issues affecting Pennsylvania agriculture. All participants will have the opportunity to ask questions live or submit topics of interest in advance during registration. 

Click Here to register.

Virtual Exhibits

These more than 180 virtual exhibits include videos, activities, and other learning opportunities that range from all things about bluebirds, gourds, and cider to how to cook dried beans, how to raise hogs, or make a blue ribbon-winning apple pie.

AgExplorer

Elementary and early secondary children can become Ag Explorers by visiting virtual stations at the PA Farm Show to learn about raising goats, sheet, rabbits, dairy, pork, and beef; organic agriculture, the environment, hardwoods, bees and honey, apple production, maple syrup, mushrooms, 4-H, plastic recycling, dog licensing, and Christmas trees. 

Kids can visit each virtual station, then take a quiz, which they can submit to enter a drawing for a Farm Show prize package. 

A full Teacher’s Toolkit is available for educators looking for ways to incorporate the virtual Farm Show into virtual lesson plans.

Butter Up!

Butter Up! Pennsylvanians are invited to push up their sleeves for some hands-on fun with the first-ever create-your-own butter sculpture competition. The contest is open for entries from January 9 through January 16 at 8:00 p.m.

Day By Day Suggestions

Here are just some of the education, environment and energy-related events being held on each day of the Farm Show--

-- January 9

-- 9:15 a.m.: Common Myths About Ticks, Mosquitoes, Other Vectors

-- 3:00 p.m.: Connecting Kids With Nature And Forests

-- January 10

-- 9:15 a.m.: Tick Behavior & Protection From Ticks

-- January 11

-- 8:00 a.m.: Solar Energy & Agriculture: New Opportunities

-- 9:15 a.m.: Protecting Your Family’s Water

-- 10:00 a.m.: Spotted Lanternfly 101

-- 11:00 a.m.: STEM Education Demonstration Make Butter from Cream!

-- 11:00 a.m.: Farm Of The Future [TBA]

-- Noon: Interview: Sally McMurry, Author Of PA Farming: A History In Landscapes

-- Noon: Bringing Back The American Chestnut

-- 2:30 p.m.: Fund With Plants: DIY Home Hydroponics Activity

-- 3:00 p.m.: Ask Penn State Extension Experts About Home Food Preservation

-- January 12

-- 8:00 a.m.: Backyard Woodlots

-- 8:30 a.m.: 4-H Demonstration: Archery

-- 9:15 a.m.: Techniques For Managing Common Household Insect Pests

-- 9:15 a.m.: Building Soil, Improving Profits & Reversing Climate Change Thru Regenerative Farming

-- 11:00 a.m.: STEM Education Demonstration DIY Bioplastics

-- Noon: Caring for the Environment: Sustainability On Dairy Farms

-- Noon: Cooperative Solutions For Chestnut Processing

-- 1:00 + 2:15 p.m: Latest In Agricultural Law Symposium

-- 2:30 p.m.: Fun With Plants: Make A Light Maze

-- 7:00 p.m.: Chestnut Farming: A Growth Opportunity

-- January 13

-- 8:00 a.m.: Extension Master Watershed Steward Information Session

-- 11:00 a.m.: STEM Education Demonstration Ice Cream In A Bag!

-- Noon: The American Chestnut: How Biotechnology Can Be Applied To Conservation

-- 1:30 p.m.: Milkshake Contest

-- 2:30 p.m.: Fun With Plants: Grow New Plants With Food Scraps

-- 3:00 p.m.: Rain To Drain - Slow The Flow Of Stormwater (hands-on activity for youth)

-- January 14

-- 8:00 a.m.: Creating A Backyard Oasis For Wildlife

-- 8:00 a.m.: Spotted Lanternfly Control: By Kids, For Kids

-- 8:30 a.m.: 4-H Demonstration - Wildlife

-- 9:15 a.m.: Pond Management

-- 10:00 a.m.: Panel Discussion - Cultivating Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

-- 11:00 a.m.: STEM Education Demonstration Color Explosion!

-- Noon: Silviculture Aspects Of American Chestnut & Implications For Species

-- 1:00 + 2:15 p.m.: Chesapeake Bay Developments - Moving The Ball Or The Goal Line

-- 2:30 p.m.: Fun With Plants - Plant-Based Tie Dye

-- 2:30 p.m.: Building Soil, Improving Profits & Reversing Climate Change Thru Regenerative Farming

-- 7:00 p.m.: Michigan’s Commercial Chestnut Industry: A Model For Pennsylvania

-- 8:00 p.m.: Cultivating Sustainability -On-Farm Conservation Practices To Reduce Our Environmental Footprint

-- January 15

-- 8:30 a.m.: 4-H Demonstration - Fiber Arts

-- 9:15 a.m.: Extension: Backyard Stream Repair

-- 11:00 a.m.: STEM Education Demonstration Bouncy Eggs!

-- Noon: Finding American Chestnuts

-- 2:30 p.m.: Fun With Plants - Water filtration

-- January 16

-- 8:30 a.m.: 4-H Demonstration - Horses

-- 9:15 a.m.: Stormwater In Your Community

-- 3:00 p.m.: Where To Begin As A Forest Landowner - Exploring Options 

Click Here for the entire schedule and how to view the events.

For all the details, visit the PA Farm Show Facebook page, Pennsylvania Cable Network and the PA Farm Show webpage. 

Related Articles:

-- Sec. Of Agriculture Kicks Off 2021 PA Farm Show, Invites Pennsylvanians To Cultivate Tomorrow

-- Early Childhood To Adult Learning In Ag, STEM Featured During 2021 Virtual Farm Show

-- PA/NJ Chapter Of The American Chestnut Foundation Hosting Webinars During 2021 Virtual PA Farm Show Jan. 9 to 16

-- Penn State Extension 5-Part Backyard Stream Repair Webinar Series Registration Now Open; Jan. 15 Webinar Also Available

-- Penn State Extension Offers 50% Off 75 Online Courses If You Register In January 

[Posted: January 9, 2021] PA Environment Digest