UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Pasto Agricultural Museum will introduce its first interactive exhibit, focused on the history of the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center — including the site of Penn State’s Ag Progress Days — during the event Aug. 12-14.
The museum, which is presenting new exhibits and programming for the whole family near the top of Main Street at the Ag Progress Days site, will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day of the show. The attraction presents an engaging, hands-on portrayal of farm and rural life before the widespread use of electricity and gas-powered equipment.
“We'll introduce our first interactive exhibit, ‘Land & Legacy: A History of the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center and its Landholders,’ at the show this year,” said Rita Graef, director of the Pasto Agricultural Museum and Armsby Respiration Calorimeter. “It’s an interactive StoryMap project that explores the research center’s historical development and the personal histories of the farms and families that once owned its land.”
The museum also will feature its Growing Together collaboration with the Penn State Student Farm. The partnership is a spring and summer series of programming that allows visitors to follow along as students grow, care for and process a food crop. This project is open to people of all ages and all levels of growing knowledge and experience.
Finally, the Pasto Museum will offer hands-on activities for families during Ag Progress Days by hosting its second annual Ag Lit Day in partnership with the Penn State University Press and local authors. The event, which is free to the public, will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the Thursday of the show (Aug. 14). It will include signings and talks by authors of books on Pennsylvania history, Penn State and the natural world. Penn State University Press will have a table with books by the presenting authors, and many more, available for purchase during the time the museum is open during Ag Progress Days.
Like every year at Ag Progress Days, the Pasto Museum strives to connect the agricultural past with present-day practice and research around food, environment and renewable resources, according to Graef. She noted that the museum's exhibits, programs and demonstrations provide an understanding of local and regional history, where food comes from, and the inventions and technology that have made food production on a large scale possible.
"The museum collection focuses on what life was like and how work was done before gasoline engines and rural electrification," she said. “The museum will immerse visitors in thinking about our food and fiber systems and natural resources. The museum provides an opportunity to explore important issues facing agriculture and the environment in a historical context.”
Sponsored by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, located 9 miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Admission and parking are free.
Hours:
- Aug. 12: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Aug. 13: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Aug. 14: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days website. The official hashtag for social media is #agprogressdays, and the event also can be found on Facebook (@AgProgressDays).