U.S. health and agriculture officials pledged nearly $200 million in new spending and other efforts Friday to help track and contain an outbreak of bird flu in the nation's dairy cows that has spread to more than 40 herds in nine states.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jeffrey Hyde, most recently a professor and administrator at Texas A&M University, has returned to Pennsylvania to become director of Penn State Extension and associate dean in the College of Agricultural Sciences. He started in his new role April 25.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was detected in dairy cattle for the first time in the United States in March, with nine states reporting outbreaks by May. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has issued a General Quarantine Order for the Exhibition of Dairy Cattle that would take effect IF a case of Bovine Influenza A has been confirmed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and until Pennsylvania has been declared free from the disease by state health officials. This applies to all dairy cows traveling to shows and exhibitions.

GREENWICH, N.Y. — Alaska is probably not the first state that comes to mind when thinking about American agriculture. However, in the 1930s an adventurous New Deal program sought to help struggling farmers get a new start by farming in Alaska’s Matanuska Valley. Read on to learn about the Matanuska Valley Colony.

This June, as we celebrate National Dairy Month, we are offering these yard signs at no cost while supplies last to help share the story of Pennsylvania dairy and the hard work of PA dairy farmers! Especially during the warm weather and summer months, you can connect with your community in various ways. We hope these signs will help you promote the local connection dairy farmers have within our communities.

The Center for Dairy Excellence assists dairy farm families in the decision-making process and catalyzes collaboration to strengthen the broader industry. The Dairy Excellence Foundation supports programs that cultivate and inspire the next generation of Pennsylvania dairy.

Find your next event here, from credit courses to weekend family fun! This calendar is a community effort to benefit farmers and non-farmers alike! Browse events by photo tiles, list, or calendar view. Search by titles, topics, audience or other criteria. Click the event title for more details on each event.

Fund your farm planning with PA's Farm Vitality Grant Program, open now until funds are exhausted. The program will reimburse 75% of costs up to $7,500 and is funded through the PA Farm Bill and administered by the PA Agricultural Business Development Center (ABDC). The program aims to encourage farmers to plan and prepare for whatever may be next for their farm operation: registering a new farm business; business, financial, or marketing planning; an expansion; a new enterprise; preparing for an emergency; or preparing for the next generation of farm ownership, retirement, or transition. Contact: eil Imes at nimes@pa.gov or 717-787-5539.