Penn State Extension Continued from Page 21
Another program is Food for Profit, which provides specialized education for aspiring and growing food businesses. This program offers a mix of modules that owners can select to fit their business needs. Topics include financing your business, marketing, business structure, e-commerce, record keeping, food safety, partnerships and conflicts, and recruitment and retention. In conjunction with the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, the Penn State Extension is offerings a program focused on leasing land for utility-scale solar in the Commonwealth. This is an illustration of how Penn State Extension identifies an issue of importance and then offers a solution, as increasing numbers of landowners in Pennsylvania are being approached to lease their land to be a part of a large solar facility. The series helps these landowners to understand the implications of the process they may encounter after a solar energy company contacts them. Maria Gorgo, who is a Food Safety, IPM and Water Quality Extension Educator and part of the Extension’s Horticulture Team, pointed to The Latinx Agricultural Network as an example of how the Penn State Extension is making a difference in the community. The Latinx Agricultural Network is a Community of Practice in Penn State Extension designed to serve the needs of the Latino community in Pennsylvania. A team of educators, students, faculty, administrators, and grassroots advisors are working strategically to enhance outreach and education efforts across all sectors of the Penn State Extension portfolio to connect to a growing community in the state. According to the recently announced results of the 2020 National Census, the Latino population in the U.S., which includes people of any race, was 62.1 million in 2020. The Latino population grew by 23 percent since 2010, while the population that was not of Latino origin grew by
Pennsylvania’s crops are vital to the state’s economy. 22
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2021• Volume 7——v
