UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- There's a lot for families to do at Penn State's Ag Progress Days, Aug. 15-17 -- whether they come from rural, suburban or even urban backgrounds.

The Family Learning Hub, located on Main Street between West 8th and 9th streets, is an area designed specifically for children and families with interactive exhibits to promote healthy eating, healthy lifestyles and spending time together.

One feature of the Hub is the Family Room, which has proven to be very popular among Ag Progress Days attendees, says Patreese Ingram, exhibit coordinator and associate professor of agricultural and extension education.

"It's a fun place and it has a lot of good information," Ingram says.

This year's theme, "Healthy Families, Healthy Relationships," is reflected in several displays such as "Fun: Families United Now," which will show fun ways families can spend time together.

At the exhibit, parents and children can participate in an activity together and there will be resources related to family time, parent involvement in after-school programs, school readiness, youth sports and addressing bullying behavior.

"From Me to We: A Game of Intergenerational Discovery" is an exhibit that promotes intergenerational discussion and encourages families to do more together.

"Each participant looks at a long list of activities and then chooses his or her favorites," Ingram explains. "Together with family members, they decide whether to categorize each activity as 'activities I do on my own' or 'activities I can do with other members of my family.'"

"Pesticide Management and Pesticide Safety Around the House" is an interactive display that will show different methods for managing pests around the home, highlighting correct and incorrect practices.

A nutrition exhibit titled "Home Food Preservation" will offer food preservation information, including copies of Penn State's "Let's Preserve" series. Canning equipment and how to correctly process foods will be demonstrated. Another exhibit will demonstrate the "Solutions Source," a new Web site developed by Penn State Cooperative Extension. It offers 800 pages of answers to consumer questions on topics such as foods and nutrition, gardening and landscaping, and parenting and childcare.

The food demonstrations continue to be one of the most popular features in the Family Room. Ingram says visitors will learn how to prepare healthy meals families can make, while receiving recipes and food samples.

Near the Family Room is another Family Learning Hub highlight, the Youth Building. The building includes displays by 4-H, FFA, the Pennsylvania Dairy Princess Association and other youth groups. Exhibit coordinator Christy Bartley, 4-H youth development program leader, says all booths will have hands-on activities for children and will cover topics such as fishing, milk and poultry, and plant pathology/fungi.

Also nearby, the Shaver's Creek Environmental Center exhibit returns this year with daily talks and demonstrations featuring such animals as turtles, snakes and birds of prey. The Farm Animal Learning Center, sponsored by Pennsylvanians for Responsible Use of Animals, will feature live farm and domestic animals. Visitors can observe the animals while learning about proper care.

Other family-oriented activities at Ag Progress Days include the Kid's Climb and A-Maze-N Corn. At the Kid's Climb, near the Equine Exhibits Building, kids can climb 40-foot-tall trees just like professional arborists, with ropes and harnesses for maximum safety. The corn maze, next to the Crops and Soils Tent, is a gigantic puzzle for entire families to wander through, with wheelchair and stroller access. This year's maze will include taller corn stalks, and will be more complex than in previous years.

Penn State's Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 15; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 16; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 17.

Admission and parking are free. For more information, call 800-PSU-1010 toll-free until August 17 or visit the Ag Progress Days Web site.

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Writer: Bethany Fehlinger Editor: Jeff Mulhollem Phone: 814-863-2719 Email: jjm29@psu.edu