At their Aug. 11 meeting at the Perry County Fairgrounds in Newport, Perry County Commissioners started off fair week by hearing updates from several agricultural instructors and organizations.
Annie Miller, the operations manager for Penn State Extension, commended the county’s ongoing interest in agricultural education, pointing out that the Extension office has experienced a surge in activity recently, including the expansion of the Master Gardener program to 18 participants. Along with outlining current and planned seminars on manure management, insect monitoring, and mycotoxin control in maize, she also shared an agronomist’s report highlighting a difficult start to the growing season, with heavy rains impacting crops including wheat and barley.
Samantha Garrett, a dairy educator, explained initiatives in transition planning, feeding assessments, milking evaluations, and farm business management. She emphasized the value of early communication among farm families and stated that succession planning can take five to ten years. She also mentioned a series of tax webinars that will start in November.
Updates on poultry production and health, including continuous biosecurity measures to fight avian influenza, were provided by poultry educator Dr. Asha Diggi. She talked about composting advice, farm visit services for local farmers, and the September Pennsylvania Poultry Sales and Service Conference.
Program leaders for 4-H, Suzanne Bortz and Rachel Seeley, described the fair’s youth programming, volunteer activities, and the diverse range of projects members are working on. There are presently over 200 non-animal projects registered in the youth building at the fair, and the county has roughly 109 members and 50 helpers.
There are about 425 FFA members in the county, the majority of whom are not from farming backgrounds, according to agricultural education teachers Krista Pontius of Greenwood and Ayla Miller of West Perry, who reported high enrollment in local ag programs. They welcomed commissioners to the Farm to Fork event on October 4 at the fairgrounds and showcased student accomplishments at state and national competitions.
In addition to celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Perry County Conservation District, Tara Collier highlighted contemporary conservation efforts, such as turf-to-meadow conversions and agricultural conservation projects supported by the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program. Additionally, she urged attendees of the event to use the recycling bins positioned across the property.
In his capacity as the Perry County Fair’s representative, Jason Snyder thanked the commissioners and agricultural partners for helping to make fair week possible.
Commissioners also adopted the county’s updated hazard mitigation plan, which was created by MCM Consulting and allows towns to apply for financing for hazard mitigation. Additionally, they authorized administrative agreements and contracts for mental health, early intervention, and intellectual and developmental impairments.
One local person, during public comment, demanded that the county return money given to the district attorney during a time when they said he was not a legitimate employee. According to commissioners, nothing was done at the time.
More from the Perry County Times
-
Obituaries from the Perry County Times (8/23/25)
-
School bells ringing in Susquenita School District
-
Cidery confirmed in Carroll Township
-
Something new in store for Buffalo Crossing development
