Penn State’s College of Ag Sciences launches Regenerative Agriculture Center

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — 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. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs and on-farm trials through collaborations with growers. The field-scale research platform will allow researchers to evaluate regenerative agriculture systems under conditions that more closely reflect commercial farming operations.

“Regenerative agriculture is an area in which Penn State can bring together the strength of our research, extension and educational programs with the knowledge and experience of the people who work the land every day,” said Troy Ott, Peter and Ann Tombros Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences. “The Penn State Regenerative Agriculture Center allows us to take that collaboration to the next level and create a lasting resource for Pennsylvania agriculture. We envision the center as a national leader and convening hub for profitable and regenerative agriculture innovation, connecting science and practice to improve soil health, environmental outcomes, economic returns and ultimately farm viability.”

Ott, who also serves as director of the Pennsylvania Agricultural State Experiment Station, explained that regenerative agriculture is a farming approach that seeks to improve soil health, water resources, biodiversity and overall ecosystem function while sustaining productive, profitable agricultural systems. It includes practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, diverse crop rotations and integrated livestock systems.

The new center was a focal point of discussion at the college’s recent Regenerative Agriculture Summit, which was held Oct. 12-13 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center and brought together more than 80 faculty, extension educators, producers, industry leaders, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, commodity groups and students. The event gave participants a chance to help shape the center’s future direction, according to Beth Gugino, associate dean for research operations and graduate education.

“Regenerative agriculture is not something that can be advanced by one organization or one sector alone,” said Gugino, who also serves as associate director of the Pennsylvania Agricultural State Experiment Station. “This summit brought together thought leaders from across agriculture, industry, government, extension and academia to share perspectives, learn from one another and help shape a shared vision for the future of the Penn State Regenerative Agriculture Center. The center will provide an enduring platform for those conversations to continue and for new partnerships, research and innovations to emerge.”

In tandem with the summit, college leadership signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Pennsylvania Regenerative Agriculture Research Foundation to strengthen collaboration on regenerative agriculture research, education, Penn State Extension programs and innovation across Pennsylvania.

The MOU establishes a framework for collaboration between the college and the Pennsylvania Regenerative Agriculture Research Foundation, which is a nonprofit that supports sustainable and regenerative farming research in Pennsylvania. An advisory committee of stakeholders and state agencies for the center will be formed to provide perspectives and help inform research priorities, outreach activities and future opportunities. Members of the foundation will play a key role in this advisory committee, guiding its focus and evolution.

Jim Hershey, president of the foundation, said the formal partnership with the College of Agricultural Sciences will advance regenerative agriculture research by leveraging the college’s expertise to generate scientific data on the outcomes and impacts of regenerative practices.

The summit also showcased the breadth of regenerative agriculture work already underway across Penn State through faculty lightning talks addressing soil health, cropping and livestock systems, water quality, economics, technology, education and extension.

Panel discussions examined how partnerships can help fund regenerative agriculture research and move projects from concept to implementation. Participants explored ways to co-develop research questions, address on-farm challenges and accelerate adoption of new practices.

The event concluded with a facilitated visioning session focused on the Regenerative Agriculture Center’s future. Gugino said a key early priority will be establishing the foundational research infrastructure needed to support long-term studies, including baseline soil characterization and monitoring.