For the week of October 6, 2025
https://extension.psu.edu/franklin
UPCOMING WEBINARS AND EVENTS: Penn State Extension is pleased to continue providing quality education via various webinars and recordings. If you have difficulty registering online for these live webinars, please contact Penn State Extension’s customer service team at
1-877-345-0691. Most of these webinars will be recorded and available for viewing later, as well. Continue to search our website: extension.psu.edu for the latest offerings.
Thursday, October 9, 2025, 4:00 PM – Upcoming Greenhouse and Berry Crops Twilight Meeting– Twin Springs Fruit Farm – Join us on October 9th at a PVGA-sponsored event to learn about operations at Twin Springs Fruit Farm. The sun will be setting earlier then, so this meeting will be held from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. The meeting will start out in one of Twin Springs’ vegetable production greenhouses, where Tom Childs, one of the farm’s managers, will talk to us about how Twin Springs grows greens successfully year-round. Then we will move out to the field where most of the time will be spent discussing methods used for growing plasticulture strawberries with dormant plants as the planting stock. This is especially timely considering current disease issues in parts of the strawberry plug plant supply. Jesse King, Twin Springs co-owner, will show us Twin Springs’ bramble varieties and trellising methods, and Kathy Demchak will cover blueberry establishment practices, nutrition, and current disease issues. Refreshments (provided at no charge) will be served by The Cow to end the evening. Growers are welcome to stay and continue conversations informally afterwards. The address for the meeting is: Twin Springs Fruit Farm, 936 Orchard Rd. Orrtanna, Pennsylvania 17353. Please enter Rodney Lee Drive via the Orchard Road entrance only. Online registration is appreciated to help with planning, but is not required at:
https://extension.psu.edu/greenhouse-and-berry-crops-field-walk Walk-ins will also be accepted.
Tuesday, October 28, 2025, 10 AM – Smart Feeding: Management for Dairy Efficiency – Penn State Extension Dairy Team will be at Creekside Dairy, 4675 Fort McCord Rd., Chambersburg, PA, highlighting the critical role of feed management in optimizing dairy herd performance. This workshop explores the connection between feed practices and overall efficiency, covering key topics such as particle length, ensiling techniques, manure scoring, and dry matter intake. Cost is $15, register online https://extension.psu.edu/smart-feeding-management-for-dairy-efficiency or call 1-877-345-0691.
Monday, December 1 and 2, 2025 – Evergreen ID and Centerpiece Workshop – Join the Master Gardeners of Franklin County at the Ag Heritage Building, lower level, located at 185 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg, for a chance to create your own custom centerpiece using a variety of greens. This year, the Master Gardeners are excited to offer this popular workshop on Monday, December 1, 2025, at 5 PM and Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 9 AM. The cost for this hands-on workshop is $25. Participants will not only craft a beautiful arrangement but will also learn to identify common evergreens. All materials will be provided; however, participants are encouraged to bring their own pruners and garden gloves. Feel free to bring additional embellishments as well. For additional information and to register online, go to https://extension.psu.edu/evergreen-identification-and-centerpiece-workshop or call 1-877-345-
0691.
Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 5:00 PM – Evergreen ID and Tabletop Tree Workshop – Join the Master Gardeners of Franklin County at the Ag Heritage Building, Lower Level, 181 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg for an engaging, hands-on workshop where you will learn to identify evergreens, shrubs, and perennials while creating your own tabletop tree arrangement. Guided by Master Gardeners, you will craft a unique tree ranging from 12 to 18 inches tall, with all materials provided to complete one project. The cost of the workshop is $25, and materials will be provided. Participants are encouraged to bring their own pruners and garden gloves. Additional embellishments are welcome. For additional information and online registration, go to https://extension.psu.edu/evergreen-identification-and-tabletop-tree-arrangement or call 1-877-345-0691.
Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 5:00 PM – Evergreen ID and Wreath Workshop – Join the Penn State Master Gardeners of Franklin County at the Ag Heritage Building, Lower Level, 185 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg, for a popular workshop. In this hands-on session, you’ll learn how to identify various evergreens and create your very own wreath. The cost of the workshop is $25, and materials will be provided. Participants are encouraged to bring their own pruners and garden gloves. Additional embellishments are welcome. For additional information and online registration, go to https://extension.psu.edu/evergreen-identification-and-wreath-making or call 1-877-345-0691.
Penn State Extension can help on the farm with production questions by providing research-backed solutions, education, and resources. Extension Teams are made up of Extension Educators, Associates, and Faculty who work in Agronomy, Horticulture, Animal Science, Forestry, and other systems across agriculture.
County Extension staff are equipped to answer a variety of agricultural questions locally. If you aren’t familiar with your local educator, give your county extension office a call or visit https://extension.psu.edu/county-offices/. Below are some example programs from Agronomy, Dairy, and Horticulture that farms can call on:
Tosh Mazzone works as an Agronomy Educator, covering Franklin, Fulton, and Cumberland Counties. He works in all crops and forages and can help answer questions in pest scouting and management, pasture and hayfield renovation and quality, and row crop production. More specifically, Tosh has experience in weed science, conservation agriculture, and rotational cover cropping systems. Contact Tosh at 717-809-2192 or tosh@psu.edu.
Daniela Roland works as a Dairy Educator covering South-Central Pennsylvania counties. Daniela’s program focuses on helping dairy farmers with milk quality and mastitis prevention, biosecurity, animal well-being, analyzing dairy records for herd productivity, and farm financial analysis. Daniela and the Extension Dairy Team offer free milking evaluations and feed assessments to help farmers make improvements or troubleshoot milk quality or dairy nutrition problems. The milking evaluations and feed assessments can be scheduled by contacting Daniela at 814-386-8000 or djr6158@psu.edu.
Jennie Mazzone is a Horticulture Educator in Franklin, Cumberland, and Adams counties. She provides support and educational programming in commercial horticulture, primarily covering the vegetable, small fruit, and ornamental industries in the area. Jennie is equipped with tools and experience to provide plant diagnostic testing, assistance with disease and insect scouting, on-farm consulting, and product recommendations. By providing these services locally, she ensures growers receive immediate answers, allowing them to implement timely and effective management practices. Contact Jennie at 717-809-2198 or jrd5407@psu.edu.
Extension is here to help on the farm. Reach out to your local office today to learn more.
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