In Pennsylvania, agriculture does more than fill supermarkets. It's at once a major economic driver, a steward of natural resources and a preserver of a venerated lifestyle. So it's no surprise that Penn State's Ag Progress Days, set for Aug. 16-18 at Rock Springs, brings together people with a wide variety of perspectives on the production of food, fuel and fiber. "Whether you are a crop grower, a livestock producer, a parent, a young person, a gardener, a conservationist, or simply a consumer of food, fiber and energy, there is something here to interest you," said Bruce McPheron, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Penn State's 2011 Ag Progress Days, set for Aug. 16-18, assembles a wealth of cutting-edge information spread over the 1,500 acres of the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs. You can be transported to research plots and demonstrations on free research bus tours leaving at regular intervals at the site.

Visitors to Penn State's Ag Progress Days, to be held Aug. 18 to 20 in Rock Springs, might feel overwhelmed by the dizzying array of options and information available at the 1,500-acre Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center. Fortunately, there's an easy way to learn more about Penn State field research aimed at producing safe and abundant food in an environmentally responsible manner.