As farmers, researchers and agricultural organizations look for ways to build healthier soils, protect natural resources and strengthen the long-term viability of farms, Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is bringing stakeholders together around a new initiative designed to turn regenerative agriculture research into practical solutions.
The college is launching a new Penn State Regenerative Agriculture Center on 125 acres of college-managed property at Rockview in Centre County. The college has used this land for its agricultural operations since 2011. While the college will initially fully support this center, it hopes that in subsequent years, through philanthropic and foundation support, it also will include an on-site facility to support the center’s research and extension mission.
The Penn State Regenerative Agriculture Center will serve as a living laboratory where researchers, students, growers, industry partners and agricultural organizations can work together to develop and evaluate regenerative agriculture systems and practices. It will support interdisciplinary research, field-scale demonstrations, farmer education and outreach, workforce development, and partnerships with producers, industry, conservation organizations and public agencies.
According to college leadership, the center fills an important niche within Penn State’s research portfolio by providing a long-term field-scale research platform that complements smaller-plot experiments such as those established at the Russell E.
Source : psu.edu