Trending
UNIVERSITY PARK -- Visitors to the Pasto Agricultural Museum during Penn State's Ag Progress Days, Aug. 9-11, can explore the intersection of science and history.
"During the show, we will connect our agricultural past with present-day practice and research around food, environment and renewable resources," said the museum's director, Rita Graef. "Programs at the museum will immerse visitors in thinking about our food and fiber systems and natural resources. The museum provides an opportunity to explore important issues facing agriculture and the environment in a historical context."
The Pasto Museum's exhibits, programs, demonstrations and tours provide an understanding of local and regional history, where food comes from, and the inventions and technology that have made food production on a large scale possible.
"The museum collection focuses on what life was like and how work was done before gasoline engines and rural electrification," Graef said.
During Ag Progress Days, the museum will be open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday. Admission is free, with a recommended donation of $5 per person or $10 per family. Donations support museum programs.
For a $10 donation, the Pasto Agricultural Museum is offering imprinted, refillable water bottles that Ag Progress Days visitors can fill inside the museum.
The Pasto Museum will follow University recommendations regarding COVID safety precautions. Free face masks will be available at the front desk.
Graef encouraged Ag Progress Days attendees to stop in to see old friends and learn about new museum programming planned for fall 2022, including:
-- Research Unplugged "On the Road" at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, in partnership with the Schlow Centre Region Library and Penn State's Office of Government and Community Relations.
-- AgSci Family Programming, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on pairs of consecutive Wednesday evenings. Each 90-minute program in the series is designed for intergenerational family audiences and engages the public directly with researchers to learn about the various disciplines and domains in agriculture, history and science. Presenters share the work they do and the tools and instruments they use in the field and in the lab. Hands-on activities are designed to inspire adults and youth to work together as they explore some of the same questions researchers and scientists are pursuing.
-- Master Gardener programs on Tuesday mornings in September and October. Meet Centre County's Penn State Extension Master Gardeners, who can help answer your questions and share home gardening information including pruning, putting your garden to bed for the winter and planning for spring planting.
-- Resuming in September 2022, regular public open hours, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, through mid-December. The museum is closed on holidays and for University closures and during inclement weather. Visitors should call ahead to make an appointment for tours and visits. More information about programming and events is available on the museum's website.
Sponsored by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, 9 miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 9; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 10; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 11. Admission and parking are free.
For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days website. Twitter users can find and share information about the event by using the hashtag #agprogressdays, and the event also can be found on Facebook (@AgProgressDays).