HARRISBURG, Pa. -- More than 160 agriculture industry representatives and supporters of county-based extension programs from across Pennsylvania rallied in the Capitol on Tuesday to emphasize the need for robust state support of agricultural research and cooperative extension.

College of Agricultural Sciences Capitol Day -- part of Penn State's Capital Day events -- was sponsored by the Penn State Agricultural Council and the Pennsylvania Council of Cooperative Extension Associations (PCCEA). Members of the two groups met with legislators throughout the day to demonstrate how state funding for agricultural research and cooperative extension is an investment that can enhance agricultural profitability, environmental quality, food safety, healthy families, vibrant communities and the development of renewable energy.

"These are Pennsylvania priorities, not just Penn State priorities," said Ag Council vice president Gregg Robertson, president of the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association. "From an economic-development standpoint, agricultural research and cooperative extension are job creators in such cutting-edge fields as biofuels and biotechnology. For the state to be competitive, we need to create the knowledge and then transfer the technology to our farms and industries. The land-grant research and extension system -- which in Pennsylvania means Penn State -- has been a model for how best to accomplish that."

At a media event highlighting how research and extension programs on crops and soils are helping to reduce soil erosion and runoff and enhance water quality, Sen. Mike Brubaker pointed out that Penn State's long-standing relationship with agricultural producers lends credibility to its science-based recommendations. "I see agricultural research and extension as critical, not optional," said Brubaker, chair of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. "If we shortchange research and the transfer of information to those who can use it, we are doing a huge disservice to the commonwealth."

Rep. Jess Stairs, chair of the House Education Committee, said public/private/university partnerships will be essential as the state moves toward energy independence and biofuels production. "Although corn is the dominant feedstock for ethanol right now, in the long run we don't want to divert grains for food and animal feed to energy production," he said. "But if we're to economically produce ethanol from wood byproducts, switchgrass and other cellulosic biomass, university research and technical training will play a major role."

Ag Council member Gene Richard of the American Mushroom Institute credited Penn State agricultural research with helping to solve a vexing disposal problem for the mushroom industry: what to do with spent mushroom substrate. "Penn State research has shown that mixing this material with hardwood landscape mulch retards the growth of artillery fungus," Richard explained. "Marketing spent mushroom soil to landscape and nursery companies turns waste into a value-added product, while helping to solve the artillery-fungus problem for landscapers and homeowners." Richard said Penn State research also suggests that when used in mine reclamation, spent mushroom soil helps to neutralize acid mine drainage, a major environmental concern in Pennsylvania.

Several PCCEA members from urban areas came to Harrisburg to talk about how relevant extension is in their communities. "Extension matters in the city," said Hillary Aisenstein, chair of Philadelphia's cooperative extension association. "The programs are so diverse, addressing such issues such as workforce development, urban gardening and positive youth development."

Marlyn Robinson-Gorman of Pittsburgh, a nutrition volunteer for extension in Allegheny County, noted that eroding funding support has reduced extension nutrition education programs in the county from 14 to five over the last six years. "There are only four people to cover the entire county," she says. "We go to food banks and teach families how to cook healthy, nutritious and good-tasting meals. With the childhood obesity epidemic in America, this is so important."

Diana Ames said that extension urban forestry programs are vital to her organization. "Eighty percent of the population lives in the urban forest," said Ames, board president of Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest. "For every dollar spent on these programs, we realize $3 in benefits in the form of stormwater and air pollution mitigation, energy efficiency, increases in property values and so forth."

Robert Steele, dean of Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, told the Ag Council and PCCEA representatives that while research and extension are addressing current priorities, the college is always looking to the future. "We're in this for the long haul," he said. "At the center of our basic and applied research and extension programs are our students, who will solve future problems as the next generation of scientists, educators and decision makers."

Other organizations participating in Penn State Capital Day were the Penn State Grassroots Network, Penn State College of Medicine and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and Penn State Outreach.

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EDITORS: For more information on College Capitol Day, contact Mary Wirth at 814-863-2822 or by e-mail at mfw10@psu.edu.

Writer/Editor: Chuck Gill 814-863-2713 cdg5@psu.edu