Relevant

Lancaster:  On June 2, 2010, Cooperative Extension will be offering Dairy Farm Energy Efficiency from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm at the Lancaster Farm and Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster PA 17601.  Full cost is $125.  However, PA residents can attend for $50 if they offer proof of residency in the form of their social security number.  This discount is available thanks to the generous support of the Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board.  For a downloadable brochure, click here.

Dairy farms need to be energy efficient to compete in the today's market place. Rising energy prices and increased competition absolutely make it important that farmers use energy efficiently. The panel of speakers will give you the tools and knowledge needed to inspect a dairy farm's energy systems and determine where savings can be found. The workshop includes a visit to a nearby commercial farm for a hands-on demonstration of energy assessment methods.  It will benefit agricultural professionals who work with the dairy industry, farmers who want to improve their facilities, and energy industry professionals such as engineers, technical representatives, and service providers interested in dairy farm energy efficiency.

Lancaster:  In December of 2007, Penn State Extension Educators John Berry and Bob Pierson conducted needs assessment surveys of 61 farmers' market managers in South-East Pennsylvania. What they found in analyzing these surveys was a strong desire for more and better networking and educational programming addressing small market managers. In 2009, Penn State Extension Educator Peggy Fogarty-Harnish visited 15 farmers markets throughout Lancaster and found similar desires to those in Southeast Pennsylvania. This discovery broadened the scope of the program from Southeast Pennsylvania farmers' markets to a more state wide focus group. These efforts led to the creation of the "Grow your Skills, Grow your Market" program offered by Penn State Extension with support from Chester County Economic Development Council. Each year, specific topics of interest will be identified and corresponding and relevant speakers will be found to participate in the program.

This year, the program started at Lancaster Central Market-named by the American Planning Association as one of the top 10 Great Public Spaces in 2009-on March 30 at 8:30 A.M. After the treasure hunt led by Linda Aleci from the Franklin & Marshall Local Economy Center, the program moved to Southern Market Center for networking and workshops. In all, there were 68 attendees representing multiple cities including Harrisburg, Allentown, Phoenixville, Philadelphia, Carlisle, Hershey, Quakertown, and West Chester.