Mushroom Science at Penn State

I’ve walked by this sign outside Buckhout Lab a hundred times without making a picture.  Today was its day.  Buckhout is home to the Department of Plant Pathology and the source of much of the mushroom science at Penn State. It’s easy to overlook things that are right in front of you. Like the mushroom research going on in the College of Ag Sciences. While most of us think of mushrooms first as a food they do have other secrets being chased by researchers including investigations that hope to find ways to use mushrooms to produce human drugs.

I need to pay more attention.

It's Summer Behind that Glass

Waking up to more snow it's nice to see the warm, summer glow inside the greenhouses connected to the Agricultural Science and Industries Building.  They're operated by the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences and home to a variety of plant research studies. When it's freezing outside it's pretty nice to step inside a greenhouse.

Value Added at the Berkey Creamery

If you aren't a regular at the Berkey Creamery at Penn State you may not be aware of a little value added feature -- a daily appearance of National Geographic magazines on the tables. I've seen issues dating from the 1940's through the current issue. This isn't an official activity but more a labor of love of Dr. Fred Kroger, professor emeritus of food science, or at least a desire to not see these magazines head to the landfill without being read a few more times.

These magazines began appearing one day years ago at the old Creamery at Borland Lab and I eventually tracked them back to Dr. Kroger. He found that a lot of National Geographic magazines were being donated to the AAUW for their annual book sale and since they don't sell magazines they were being thrown away. He decided that people sitting at the Creamery eating ice cream or their lunch might like some reading material and those magazines were just going to waste so every morning on his way to his office he would distribute them. I have a couple favorites here in my office.

One of the many little value added features in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

President Barack H. Obama

When then Senator Barack Obama stopped at the Penn State Dairy Barns during a campaign stop at Penn State this spring the outcome of the Presidential election was still uncertain.  At noon today Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States.

I joined other faculty, staff, and students in the student center of the Office of  International Programs.  They have a large monitor used in two-way video conferencing with Ag Sciences faculty and students who travel around the world.  Two of the students watching were international students from France.

In addition to being a site to view historic events like the inauguration students use this facility to stay in touch with students traveling abroad, utilize computer workstations, and work on projects. 

If you didn't have a chance to watch the inauguration you may want to read the Obama Inauguration Speech.

Farm Show: Until Next Year

The 2009 Farm Show has drawn to a close. Hundreds of thousands of people have poured into the complex. For anyone who likes to watch (or make photographs) of people it offers an outstanding opportunity.

During the draft horse show people lined up, stood on chairs, and peered through windows to watch.

If there is one thing Farm Show does not have enough of is places to sit down. Only the lucky find a nice bench to sit, eat, and relax.

At the Penn State Ag Sciences exhibit faculty from the Food Science department were on hand to talk about ways to insure safe food handling. This person didn't want their picture taken but wanted to show the refrigerator thermometers that were being given away.

Rob Berghage, faculty member in the Horticulture department, was at the Farm Show to talk about green roofs and green roof technology. I caught up with him before one of his presentations.

Martin Bucknavage, food safety specialist, was at the exhibit to talk about food science and safety issues and the food safety programs offered at Penn State .

Jonathan Ziegler, assistant director of marketing, was one of the people who helped develop the Penn State exhibit and make sure things went as planned. I caught him checking information between presentations.

Extension Educators Debbie Gregory, Huntingdon County, and Karen Bracey, Wyoming County, were also working at the Ag Sciences exhibit and talking about food safety.

Cathy Guffey, Extension Educator in Bradford County, was one of the many professionals who traveled to Harrisburg to provide support and education at the Penn State exhibit.

The theater area of the exhibit was popular between presentations for the chairs available and the videos about the College of Agricultural Sciences that played throughout the day.

Also at the exhibit from the Department of Dairy and Animal Science were Sally Bair, news editor, and Terry Etherton, department head. Throughout the week Penn Staters were part of the Farm Show and make invaluable contributions to its success.

That's about it for the 2009 Farm Show. I see the Web cam is off and the trucks are being packed. In a few hours the building will be quiet. It won't be long though until planning for the 2010 Farm Show begins!

Farm Show: Nature and the Environment

The Shavers Creek Environmental Center is part of Penn State's Outreach program and was at Farm Show this week making presentations about birds of prey, reptiles, and other nature related topics. A Golden Eagle was just one of the big birds being shown. I've seen and photographed a lot of birds of prey over the years and they are as impressive today as the first time I saw one.

Environmental Educator Jon Kauffman talked about how this bird came to be at Shavers Creek and its rehabilitation after a mishap with some high voltage electrical lines. Farm Show offers a wide range of exhibits and information concerning the environment and anyone interested in a career in a related area could find information about majors and careers at the Ag Sciences exhibit.

Tarrah Geszvain, counselor and advisor for the Environmental Resource Management program, was joined by undergraduate students Kristina and Chad to answer questions regarding Penn State programs, opportunities and experiences.

Another area of environmental concern is the use of pesticides. Sharon Gripp, information specialist with the Pesticide Education program, was also part of the large contingent of Penn State professionals at the Farm Show. Sharon drew the short straw and stood for this picture while her colleagues looked on. This year they had some giant, inflatable, pesticide bottles at their exhibit. They were hard to miss as you walked through the main exhibit hall.

The Farm Show will close tomorrow but there is still time to visit. Lots to see!

Sampling the Presidential Ice Cream

It was a spur of the moment thing in the Quality Lab of the Creamery at Penn State. I was photographing cross-sections of the presidential ice cream flavors, Obama Whitehouse, Bidenberry, and BaRocky Road and watched sadly as each container of ice cream went into the trash can after I made the picture. When we got to the BaRocky Road I just couldn’t help myself and from my lips came, “Give me a spoon”. I just could not let all that chocolate and ice cream goodness slip away. After a few minutes of sampling I gave it the thumbs up and turned away for other pictures.

That’s what being a photographer is all about.

Check out all the pictures of the process of preparing the ice cream and packing it up for shipment HERE.

And the news release giving all the details of what is happening with the ice cream is available HERE.

I did the right thing didn't I?

Farm Show: Big Machines

One of the big attractions at Farm Show are the hundreds of machines on display. For many visitors it will be the only time they see a farm tractor up close and be able to admire the complexity of design and construction.

The size of this boom sprayer is impressive and you wonder just how someone manages to operate it efficiently and safely.

When I hear the word safety a picture of Dennis Murphy, distinguished professor of agricultural and biological engineering, pops into my head. I made this picture when I ran into him at the Pennsylvania Agricultural Safety and Health exhibit. He is an internationally recognized leader in agricultural safety and health and there are people alive today as a direct result of his commitment to agricultural safety. 

I looked up an old 2001 press release announcing Dennis being named a Distinguished Professor by the Office of the President. The release stated “As a result of his work, Murphy can document a nearly 50 percent reduction in the rate of farm work injury in Pennsylvania over the past 10 years.”

That’s impressive.  

And Dennis is just one of over 100 outstanding Penn State faculty, Extension Educators, and staff members who participate at the Farm Show. And many more students, alums, and retirees all help with the day-to-day operations of such a huge event.

What machines have you admired at the Farm Show?

Farm Show: Butter to Energy

A 900-pound butter sculpture isn’t something you see everyday. It is a tradition at the Farm Show and this year marks the 19th time one is on display at the show. This piece honors the Pennsylvania National Guard was made by sculptor Jim Victor over a ten day period. Curious about the origins of butter sculpting a quick Google search revealed not only a tradition of agricultural representations at events like the Farm Show, but a more ancient Tibetan Buddhist one that made butter sculptures to celebrate the Tibetan New Year. Looking forward though what struck me as interesting was the future of this particular work.

After the show closes on Saturday all this butter will be converted into bio-diesel fuel. At Penn State there’s a lot of work going on related to bio-diesel and bio-fuel production. Tom Richard, director of the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment, was at Penn State’s Agricultural Energy exhibit to answer questions and talk about the things happening in research today.

Glen Cauffman, manager of Farm Operations for the College, was also at the exhibit. Glen and his crew are intimately involved in working with biofuels, green hydraulic fluids, and other bio-based energy sources including research in oil crops like camelina.

There is a lot of information available in this area on the College of Ag Sciences publication database. Or check the article on biofuels in the Summer 2008 issue of Penn State Agriculture titled Feeding a Hungry World.

Just a few exhibits away from the Agricultural Energy exhibit sat a Harley-Davidson Fatboy motorcycle converted to run on bio-diesel. I wonder what that sounds like?

Farm Show: Kids Like to Play

Farm Show offers all sorts of excitement for kids. Like the carousel in the Family Living Area of the Main Exhibition Hall. Kids have the chance to play, explore and learn about everything from animal health to water quality.

Naveen Chikthimmah, instructor in food science, introduced kids to some simple food safety issues and watched as they played a game that required them to put into practice the things they learned.

Buzy Q was busy entertaining the kids in the Little Farmers area where they could dig and haul all sorts of things with plastic buckets.

The Ag Magic Show was a hit with kids. The presenter kept everyone spellbound with balloon animals and stories. The show was a big draw and right across from Penn State’s 4H exhibit. For parents interested in educational programs for their children it was the place to be.

Tim Kelsey was busy helping kids of all ages explore the ins and outs of community development through the use of handmade wooden buildings. 

Moving and building small communities opened the door for discussion about real world issues that adults face in communities.

I watched the people who visited with Tim and almost all, young and old, seemed mesmerized by the wooden structures.

And for high school students Mariane Fivek, Office of Undergraduate Education, was available to talk to potential students and their parents about careers in the agricultural sciences and a future as a student in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State. I made this picture during one of Mariane’s presentations.

For every age there is something of interest and enjoyment at the Farm Show. It just takes a few moments to take a walk and see what you discover.

Farm Show: Animals, Animals

A lot of people come to Farm Show to see the animals. Cows, pigs, sheep and horses to name a few. Dr. Nüket Acar, is a veterinarian and a member of the faculty of the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. She was at the Farm Show to talk about issues and careers related to human and animal health. The department offers three majors:

Toxicology
Immunology and Infectious Disease
Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

For prospective students interested in challenging careers in research, medicine, or veterinary medicine they are worth a look.

Before Dr. Acar was scheduled to make a presentation at the stage area of the Penn State exhibit I caught a glimpse of her laptop computer screen that seemed to sum things up pretty well.

In the Large Arena the draft horses were competing in a variety of competitions. They always draw big crowds and are impressive animals. Horses generally seem big to me but the Belgians and Percherons are giants and I give them a lot of space.

This little guy pulled away from the gate when one of the wagons passed by in a jingling rumble. He knows what to be careful of.

If you don't think you can make it to the Farm Show you can pick up television coverage through the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN).  PCN was taping the draft horses and will continue coverage of other events throughout the week.

There was a lot of interest in these llamas, especially with the kids who wanted to pet them. I’m not sure how friendly they are but I learned a long time ago not to put my hands through a fence where a heavy animal might decide to lean against them.  

I've also learned a few things about electric fences but that's a post for another time.

Farm Show : A Tradition

I was sitting in the Equine Arena between shows and looking at the big United States flag and it struck me how strong a tradition the Pennsylvania Farm Show has become. Four hundred thousand people don’t brave the January weather lightly. There is a history and tradition among the people who visit, the people who exhibit, and those that work at the show. The diverse tapestry of the agricultural community, everyone from the dairy farmer, beekeeper, food scientist, and wildlife manager to the equipment dealer, agricultural banker, and teacher, they all come together at Farm Show in a concentrated form. They reflect a tradition that continues to grow even as agriculture changes and grows. At least that was what was running through my head when I was looking at the flag.

Thousands of people pour into the Farm Show everyday. Because of the sheer size of the facilities those people spread out into a comfortable level of activity.

I was at the Equine Arena hoping to get some pictures of the Market Steer Show but I arrived too early. I did find John Comerford, associate professor of dairy and animal science, is co-chair of the Beef Cattle Committee at the show and responsible for making sure all the cattle competitions run smoothly. I asked him when he arrived and he said he’d been there since last Monday when they started checking in cattle and doing some of the preliminary judging. Saying it’s a lot of work is an understatement. It is part of the tradition of support the College of Agricultural Sciences gives to the Farm Show.

John does not work alone and has a committee to help with all the work. I found a place to sit down in the Show Office to delete pictures when I saw Gary Abdullah (on right), a news writer in the college, come in looking for information about oxen. I don’t think I ever saw an ox and so far haven’t found one. But Gary was convinced there were some at the show and was hoping the Extension Educators working on the cattle committee could point him in the right direction. I’m not sure if he found them.

I stopped by the Penn State exhibit and things were well underway. The plasma monitors were running lots of video and presentation materials. I’ll post a lot more pictures in the coming days. Maybe this is the beginning of another Farm Show tradition.

Farm Show Begins

PHOTO BY JONATHAN ZIEGLER

The opening of the 2009 Farm Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania arrived along with a major snowstorm. I won't be going back to the show until tomorrow but that didn't stop faculty and staff from the College of Agricultural Sciences from conducting workshops and demonstrations. These pictures were sent to me this evening and are just one example of some of the things going on at the Penn State exhibit. Above Sjoerd W. Duiker, Associate Professor of Soil Management and Applied Soil Physics, conducts a demonstration showing how no-till cropping systems can improve water quality.

I have also put a link to the Farm Show Webcam on the right hand side of the page. I watched it awhile and actually saw some people I knew. Weird.

Early tomorrow morning I head to the show and plan to shoot a lot of pictures. Stay tuned...

Farm Show: It's Your Time

The big blue It’s Your Time symbolizes the efforts taken on the part of faculty and staff at Penn State and in the College of Agricultural Sciences to make sure prospective students and their families understand the scope and depth of academic programs and careers. Farm Show makes it possible for us to talk to a lot of people. If you are thinking about college it will be worth it to stop and talk with one of the staff from the Office of Undergraduate Education. They will be at the exhibit all week and would love to talk. All week there will be presentations and talks that will cover a lot of what the college has to offer a student. The link below will let you download a schedule of activities.

AG SCIENCES FARM SHOW SCHEDULE

It’s pretty cool to see your work big. Garo is holding one of the panels for the exhibit, a photo of Austin, an Ag Sciences student majoring in Environmental Resource Management. I shoot a lot of pictures of students for use in publications, exhibits, and Web sites to help tell the story of the college. There is no single image that adequately describes something as wildly diverse as the agricultural sciences. Plants, animals, human health, bioenergy production, robotics, the list could go on and on and the opportunities for making photographs seems endless to me.

Putting together all the panels in this big metal grid is not as easy as it would appear. Lots of coaxing and careful trimming of the panels is necessary. I only saw the mallet and crowbar appear a few times.

This was the first time I saw this particular structure assembled and I have to say I was impressed. I still remember the days when an 11x14 black and white print was considered pretty racy at Farm Show. I can’t wait to see it when the doors open tomorrow and the place fills up with people.

The final touches being attended to, plants added, the carpet still to be hit with the vacuum cleaner, the place is coming to life. Farm Show officially opens tomorrow, Saturday, January 10, 2009. Stop by and have a look.

It’s Your Time!