Penn State Extension

|CONNECTIONS| Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of farms that sell directly to the consumer. How can a Pennsylvania resident or a visitor to the state locate any of the more than 1,000 farmers markets that offer up the bounty of Pennsylvania’s farms? The Penn State Extension offers the PA Farm Market Finder, an interactive map that allows anyone to search for farmers markets, on-farm retail markets, and public markets—or all three. The markets are color coded to identify what kind of markets they are. People can zoom in on the interactive map to any area of the state, and more information about each farm market, including contact information, is just a click away. The PA Farm Market Finder is just one small illustration of the work that the Penn State Extension does. The Penn State Extension is a modern educational organization dedicated to delivering science-based information to people, businesses, and communities. That information is sometimes is provided face-to-face through a wide variety of programs that the Penn State Extension plans, and it is sometimes provided online. The goal, according to Carla J. Snyder, is to provide useful information when people want it, where they want it, and how they want it. 20 v——Fall/Winter 2021• Volume 7——vThe Progression of Change in Adult and Continuing Education • The Progression of Change in Adult and Continuing Education Penn State Extension’s programs and outreach benefit many “We can help everyone from business owners to farmers to individuals,” said Snyder, an Extension Educator and Associate State Program Leader of the Energy, Business and Community Vitality team. The PA Farm Market Finder helps connect farm markets with customers. The Penn State Extension has a long tradition of bringing unbiased support and education directly to residents in Pennsylvania. That support can come in many different forms. That, and the education is delivered through a variety of different programs and methods. According to the Penn State Extension website, the Extension program teams “consist of a collection of educators, associates, and faculty that come together from various units when their expertise is needed.” Many of the program team members live and work alongside the people they are helping, and these teams form unique partnerships with state and county governments to facilitate collaboration with industry, private organizations, and others. Each program team participates in an ongoing development process to determine what educational programming is needed by citizens, communities and industry sectors across the state. This process includes gathering input from stakeholders and customers to ensure that the Extension Teams are working to find timely, research-based solutions in the areas people care about most. Snyder mentioned just a few programs that the Penn State All photos courtesy

There are more than 1,000 farmers markets across the state that offer up the bounty of Pennsylvania’s farms. Maria Gorgo is standing on the far right with Spanish speaking class participants.

Extension is working on currently to address issues in the state. She explained that Under the Ground is a retail coaching program that utilizes secret shoppers and provides businesses with comprehensive solutions to enhance their food and beverage operations. The Extension provides customized surveys, solutions, and strategies tailored to the business to enhance merchandising and customer service to help a business stand out in the marketplace.

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Another program is Food for Profit, which provides specialized education for aspiring and growing food businesses. This program offers a mix of modules that owners can select to fit their business needs. Topics include financing your business, marketing, business structure, e-commerce, record keeping, food safety, partnerships and conflicts, and recruitment and retention.

In conjunction with the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, the Penn State Extension is offerings a program focused on leasing land for utility-scale solar in the Commonwealth. This is an illustration of how Penn State Extension identifies an issue of importance and then offers a solution, as increasing numbers of landowners in Pennsylvania are being approached to lease their land to be a part of a large solar facility.

The series helps these landowners to understand the implications of the process they may encounter after a solar energy company contacts them.

Maria Gorgo, who is a Food Safety, IPM and Water Quality Extension Educator and part of the Extension’s Horticulture Team, pointed to The Latinx Agricultural Network as an example of how the Penn State Extension is making a difference in the community. The Latinx Agricultural Network is a Community of Practice in Penn State Extension designed to serve the needs of the Latino community in Pennsylvania. A team of educators, students, faculty, administrators, and grassroots advisors are working strategically to enhance outreach and education efforts across all sectors of the Penn State Extension portfolio to connect to a growing community in the state.

According to the recently announced results of the 2020 National Census, the Latino population in the U.S., which includes people of any race, was 62.1 million in 2020. The Latino population grew by 23 percent since 2010, while the population that was not of Latino origin grew by

Pennsylvania’s crops are vital to the state’s economy.

4.3 percent during the same time. Latinos and Hispanics make up 75 percent of the agricultural workforce in the U.S., and in some Pennsylvania industries, such as the mushroom industry, about 90 percent of the workers are Latinos. The Latinx Agricultural Network has undertaken several initiatives to increase communication, build collaboration, and expand resources to the Latino community.

Outreach to and support for the Latino community can take many forms—everything from creating a new Facebook page that is in Spanish to planning leadership training sessions in Spanish for farm supervisors. Through a collaborative effort among the Horticulture, Latinx Agricultural Network, and Leadership and Community Vitality teams, 46 participants representing 10 farms and five organizations participated in the Leadership Training in Spanish Language for Farm Supervisors program training. A survey after the training sessions revealed that 95 percent of the participants thought the training was helpful, with 67 percent saying that it was significantly helpful.

The Penn State Extension offers the PA Farm Market Finder, an interactive map that allows anyone to search for farmers markets, on-farm retail markets, and public markets.

Jars of food produced in Pennsylvania.