Latest news with #PennStateExtension
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bill OBoyle: Ensuring the Christmas tree industry stays healthy
Jul. 13—WILKES-BARRE — You may have noticed recent stories about "Christmas in July" events happening throughout our region. It's a fun thought — especially with these recent hot and humid days we've been having. It's nice to think about Christmas and snow and Santa and family celebrations and, oh yeah, Christmas trees. So it was very comforting to hear that Pennsylvania's Christmas tree industry has a new, reliable, competent friend in Kelly Piccioni — Penn State Extension's horticulture educator — who has been hired to support the state's Christmas tree industry with field visits, scouting reports and clear, easy-to-follow guidance. Before I get into why this is so significant, just know that those of you who still enjoy the long-standing tradition of having a real Christmas tree adorn your homes for the holidays, Piccioni has your back. When I was a kid, my mom always insisted on having a perfectly proportioned Douglas fir in our front room — centered in front of two large windows for the neighborhood to see and admire. Mom, Dad and I would head over to Last Chance in Breslau to pick one out, strap it to our car and head home to set it up and then decorate. Back then, most homes had real trees of varying species, and all were magnificent. Which is why Piccioni has a big job to do — to see that the tradition of real Christmas trees continues and that tree farmers have all the information and guidance they need. A news release from University Park states, "At one time, Christmas Eve was the most popular day to buy and decorate a Christmas tree. The evergreen would stay up through the holiday season and into the winter, offering a symbol of life during the darkest months. "For Penn State Extension Horticulture Educator Kelly Piccioni, Christmas trees are a family legacy. Her roots in the Christmas tree business stretch back four generations, starting with her great-grandfather, who bought trees off the railroad and resold them. Her grandparents grew trees in Schuylkill County and sold them from their backyard on Centre Avenue in Reading, Berks County." Piccioni knows all about the Christmas tree tradition. "Growing up, we did every job on the farm," Piccioni said. "There's even a special 'Christmas tree waddle' we learned as kids for planting seedlings." Piccioni provides educational resources and support to commercial producers of Christmas trees, cut flowers and other horticultural crops in the region. Her role is especially significant given that Pennsylvania ranks third in the nation for Christmas tree production. "I've been out as much as possible, which has been so fun," Piccioni said. "You see the challenges people face, their strengths and the progress on their farms. Christmas tree growers are some of the best people. That's always drawn me to the green industry and ag world. I get to geek out every day as they let me walk around their farms." Each Thursday, growers subscribed to the Christmas Tree Production Area of Interest list receive a new report noting pest and disease activity observed in the field, along with pesticide guidance and management tips. Piccioni collaborates closely with the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association to deliver content and support grower meetings and information sharing. "Yes, we're always competing with artificial trees, but so many people keep coming back to a real tree because they miss the tradition, they miss the smell, and they want their kids to experience it," she said. Piccioni cited a 2024 consumer survey by the Real Christmas Tree Board, in which more than 80% of respondents agreed that the scent of a real Christmas tree makes their home feel festive, relaxes them and enhances their holiday experience. "I think everyone feels a bit of the innocence of childhood seeping away with technology," she said. "There's so much pressure and chaos at that time of year, but going out to get a real tree forces you to slow down. It's childlike in the best way." For real. Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania deer hunters can learn more about venison with this Penn State class
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (WTAJ) — Pennsylvania hunters can take advantage of a hands-on course all about venison — deer meat. Penn State Extension will offer 'Venison 101' again this year. It's a popular hands-on course for hunters to get a comprehensive look at venison butchering, processing and cooking. Online components will combine with an in-person workshop — scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 22, to help hunters and butchers learn how to handle venison. The in-person class will take place at the Penn State Meat Laboratory on the University Park campus. Due to recent demand, organizers decided to offer another 'Venison 101' session. 'As Pennsylvania experiences a shortage of butchers, the course offers hunters and their families an opportunity to learn how to process their own meat, enhancing both their skills and the value of their harvest,' Catherine Cutter, professor of food science in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, said. POLICE: Former NFL player charged with DUI after crash in Centre County Over the years, a hybrid format was created, blending online lessons with a full-day hands on workshop. Online, you'll learn about the history of hunting, deer ecology, field dressing, chronic wasting disease, carcass processing and recipes. You can also learn about canning, dehydration for jerky and freezing. The in-person session will focus on knife safety, processing, sausage and bologna, smoking, and cooking methods — including a chili cook-off. 'I was impressed with the knowledge and passion all the teachers had on the subjects they were teaching,' a past participant noted. 'I will definitely recommend the class to family and friends if you have it again.'A team of experts will run the course, which includes a wildlife specialist, veterinarian, meat scientist and food safety experts. More information is available by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cicadas attract pests, nearly invisible mites that bite and can cause a rash. What to know
The latest 17-year brood of cicadas is invading, bringing millions if not billions of the noisy insects to Cincinnati and southwest Ohio. While cicadas may be annoying — they're loud, they leave their nymph shells everywhere after molting and they may upset your pet's stomach if your dog gorges on them — the insects are harmless, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. They're even beneficial: They're a valuable food source for native wildlife, per ODNR, and the nymphs emerging from underground can help your lawn, according to The Nature Conservancy. However, cicadas can attract a pest, the oak leaf itch mite. And as the name suggests, these mites can cause an irritating rash in humans. Here's what to know. According to WebMD, these mites are nearly invisible to the naked eye, being about 0.2 mm long. They commonly feed on larvae of an oak gall midge, a type of fly, that lives on pin oak leaves. Starting in late July, these mites drop from the tree or are blown on the wind, landing on animals and humans. Their bites can cause an itchy rash of small red bumps that can be painful to scratch. The rashes can be intense. They're also known to feed on cicada eggs, per WebMD, and were linked to a 2007 outbreak of rashes in Chicago, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, where the mites were feeding on 17-year cicada eggs. In 2021, the University of Maryland Extension found it likely that Brood X cicada eggs were likely the mite's food source for an outbreak of rashes in the Washington D.C. area, as reported by the Washington Post. If you develop a rash, an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion as well as antihistamines may help with the itch, per WebMD. Don't scratch; that may cause a bacterial infection. Controlling the mites on the trees is difficult, according to the PennState Extension. Sprays aren't effective because the mites are protected and hidden in leaf folds or galls. The use of insect repellent containing DEET has shown mixed results. "People can best protect themselves by limiting their time from under infested trees and by immediately removing and laundering clothing and then showering," PennState Extension writes. After 17 years underground, Brood XIV is emerging, and it will bring millions if not billions of the noisy insects to Southwest Ohio and a dozen other states this spring. Brood XIV is one of 15 recognized broods of periodical cicadas that emerge every 13 or 17 years, and one of four that appear in the Buckeye State, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. They emerge when the soil temperature reaches 64 degrees, which typically happens in the second half of May. Annual cicadas emerge worldwide each year, but periodical cicadas are found only in eastern North America. They live underground as nymphs for either 13 or 17 years before emerging above ground in massive numbers. Different populations of periodical cicadas are called 'broods' and are numbered with Roman numerals. Brood XIV cicadas will stretch from northern Georgia to Massachusetts. In Ohio, they will emerge in a more than dozen counties, per ODNR, mostly in Southwest Ohio: Adams Brown Butler Champaign Clermont Clinton Gallia Greene Hamilton Highland Jackson Lawrence Pike Ross Scioto Warren Washington They are active for three to four weeks as they focus on mating and reproduction, per ODNR. Male periodical cicadas produce a deafening chorus of calls to attract females. Once mated, female cicadas deposit their eggs into the branches of trees and shrubs. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cicadas invading Ohio in 2025 bring an itchy pest. Here's what to know
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Is all this rain helpful or hurtful for farmers?
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — Rain during the month of May has dragged on for many folks, but for Lancaster County farmers that rain is needed. 'You could see dust coming up from the back of the planter so we were actually getting concerned that it was too dry,' Jeff Frey, a farmer at Future View Farm in Willow Street, said. 'This rain is actually welcomed.' The Frey's were able to get most of their spring crops in the ground before the rain. 'I'd say we're about 80% done with the corn. We have all the full season beans planted,' Frey said. Typically, Future View Farm has their corn planted by May 10. That didn't happen this year. Farmers have to wait to plant until the ground is dry. 'Our equipment today is heavy, big tractors and planters.,' Leon Ressler, an agronomy educator with Penn State Extension, said. 'So when you're running over a wet ground, it causes soil compaction which can lead to yield problems.' 'The negative part is that we don't have all the corn planted and once we get past the middle of the month there is a little bit of a yield drag or can be,' Frey said. A planter has a steel disc on it that opens a slot and the seed is inserted. The seed can get damaged in rainy conditions. 'Opening that seed slot can cause sidewall compaction where the side of the seed slot is actually compacted and hard,' Ressler said. 'It prevents the roots of the corn plant, for example, of growing out sideways where it normally would.' Frey believes all will be good as long as the rain doesn't continue much longer. Download the abc27 News+ app on your Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Apple TV devices 'The only issue with this rain would be if it puddles or if it continues to rain all next week,' Frey said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Students and others planting trees, cultivating futures
A crew of students from the life skills transitional program housed at Crawford Tech reported for work at Huidekoper Park around midday Wednesday. The day was gray, unseasonably cold and altogether miserable weather-wise, but the students didn't seem to mind as they followed representatives of Penn State Extension and the city of Meadville's Shade Tree Commission. With his red hood pulled over his head and gloves on his hands, Garrett Gerber counteracted the chill by picking up a shovel and joining work on a hole that would soon welcome a new oak tree. 'It's good when you get to be outside,' he said. Gerber and classmates Rhonda Husband and Clarissa Mook, along with life skills paraprofessional Brenda Elliott, joined the city's liaison to the Shade Tree Commission, Alice Sjolander; Shade Tree Commission member Danuta Majchrowicz; and Scott Sjolander, Penn State Extension urban and community forester, to plant five trees in the recently renovated Huidekoper Park. The trees — a mix of swamp white oaks and red maples — are part of a group of 35 trees planted by volunteers over the past 10 days at three city parks and two locations in the city's Fifth Ward thanks to $11,000 in funding from two programs operated by nonprofit TreePennsylvania, the Bare Root Tree grant program and PA's Environmental Justice Forests grant program. Unlike Gerber, Husband had previous experience with tree planting, having participated in a similar event the previous weekend at the Columbia Avenue community orchard, where about a dozen trees were installed. 'You get a workout — you get muscles from it,' Husband said. Mook, a self-described 'farm girl,' was familiar with similar work as well. 'I love it, coming out and helping and planting and weeding and stuff,' she said. 'I just like being outside and meeting new people and learning different things.' All three of the students are 21 and will soon complete the life skills transitional program operated by Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit 5. The program allows life skills students to continue in school after the year they turn 18, gaining additional experience, including time spent working at a variety of local businesses and organizations ranging from assisted living facilities to preschools, fast food and ice cream shops to hotels. After completing the program, Gerber will attend Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, while Husband is eager to begin work at Juniper Village, a place she has already become familiar with through the transitional program. 'I've been wanting to work ever since,' she said. 'I'm very excited I'm finally going to get a chance to actually work outside of school.' The effort at Huidekoper and other city locations came as similar work was being performed in 50 communities across the state. More than 1,200 young trees were distributed for planting, according to Jessica Cavey, program director of Tree Pennsylvania, a private nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing tree canopy across the commonwealth through grant and scholarship programs. Alice Sjolander, who worked on the grant that funded the tree plantings, said another 35 trees will be planted in the fall, primarily along South Main Street and nearby on several cross streets. Where the spring plantings were mostly in parks or similar areas, the fall plantings will be in more urban locations, but all of the trees are relatively mature at 10 feet in height or more. 'These trees will make a big difference in the community pretty quickly,' she said. Sjolander said it remained to be seen if funding for the fall trees remained available. 'They squeaked this one in,' she said, referring to the grant support obtained by TreePennsylvania. The statewide tree planting is a collaborative effort of TreePennsylvania and in collaboration with the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Penn State Extension and the U.S. Forest Service. Ultimately, however, the funding comes from the federal partner — the Forest Service. Since the beginning of the second Trump administration earlier this year, environmental justice programs such as the one providing a portion of the funding for the Meadville tree plantings, have come under consistent fire. Earlier this month, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin labeled environmental justice programs as 'scams' and said he had canceled more than $22 billion in environmental justice and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) grants and contracts. Jessica Cavey, TreePennsylvania program director, said the grant supporting the work was awarded in 2024 and expressed confidence that funding for the fall plantings remained secure. 'Meadville will receive the other half of their trees,' she said. 'However, if we applied for this funding now in anticipation of a 2026 grant, I would be very cautious of anticipating that grant being accepted because it mentions environmental justice, it mentions disadvantaged communities, it mentions climate change — those kinds of things — and those words right now are huge red flags for this administration, unfortunately.'
