UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For three days in August, Rock Springs once again became a meeting place for the people, ideas and innovations shaping Pennsylvania agriculture. This year’s Ag Progress Days carried added significance, marking 50 years since Penn State’s Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center became the show’s permanent home.

The show began as a traveling agricultural event before settling at Rock Springs in 1976. Since then, it has grown into an annual gathering of farmers, families, researchers, educators and industry representatives, offering a look at where agriculture has been and where it is headed.

Jesse Darlington, show manager, estimated that more than 40,000 people attended this year’s expo, which was held Aug. 11-13 and hosted by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

He added that the 50-year milestone was evident throughout the show, reflected in the camaraderie among dedicated volunteers, returning exhibitors and longtime attendees, who welcomed first-time visitors into the Ag Progress Days community.

“The crowds were amazing, which is a testament to the value of Ag Progress Days,” he said. “We couldn’t have asked for better engagement and people to celebrate this special occasion.”

As always, agricultural technology was central to the show. Highlights included a new exhibit, the FIRA Robotics Village, co-organized by the college with GOFAR, a global accelerator for agricultural robotics, and the Robotics Factory, a robotics accelerator and program of Innovation Works headquartered in Pittsburgh.

The exhibit gave visitors a firsthand look at robotics and automation technologies being developed for agriculture, including tools that could help farmers address labor challenges and improve efficiency.

For Grant Wilkinson, founder and chief executive officer of Hermes Vision, attending Ag Progress Days provided an opportunity to connect directly with the producers who will use the company’s technology. The agricultural technology startup, which officially launched in February, uses drone imagery to identify invasive weed species and make those detections actionable, thereby reducing herbicide use by up to 70% and lowering costs for producers.

“It’s important for us to be here with the actual producers who use ag-related technology,” he said. “We can come up with cool tech that sounds great in a vacuum, but if it’s not usable to real people, and we don’t actually make things that are useful to them, it’s not worth very much in the end.”

Ag Progress Days also provided the setting for a ceremony celebrating the formation of the Keystone AgTech Alliance. The partnership among the College of Agricultural Sciences, the state Department of Agriculture, the state Department of Community and Economic Development, Team Pennsylvania, and the Robotics Factory aims to strengthen Pennsylvania’s agricultural technology ecosystem and foster collaboration.

But technology was only part of the story — the heart of Ag Progress Days is people sharing information and answering questions. Penn State Extension educators and Master Gardeners were available throughout the grounds, offering information and demonstrations on topics such as horticulture, crop production, livestock, natural resources, family and community well-being, and Tilva, Penn State Extension’s artificial-intelligence assistant.

Dairy farmer Daniel Forster, of Pennsylvania Furnace, brought his two sons and daughter to Ag Progress Days for a day of education and family time, including a must-stop for the kids — the corn maze. While visiting the Master Gardeners’ demonstration garden, Forster talked with Andy Faust, Master Gardener area coordinator, about a familiar gardening challenge: how to manage beetles.

“We enjoy the resources that Ag Progress Days offers,” Forster said. “It’s valuable to talk to the exhibitors and learn about the technology that’s there and what’s up and coming.”

For Sarah Zost, a fourth-generation fruit grower from Adams County and president of the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania, this year’s Ag Progress Days was her first. She said she came to learn more about the exhibits and demonstrations and connect with state and federal officials about issues affecting Pennsylvania’s fruit growers.

That was especially important this year, following a devastating April freeze that affected tree fruit crops across the commonwealth. With Pennsylvania providing $10 million in Fruit Grower Freeze Impact Grants, Zost said she was eager to hear more about potential federal assistance.

“Ag Progress Days is a wonderful event,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed getting to spend time with our federal and state officials and discuss agricultural issues important to our industry.”

Another Ag Progress Days first-timer was Nathan Tiyce, who recently transferred to the College of Agricultural Sciences to pursue a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science. Tiyce grew up in Australia and spent more than five years working on a 15,000-acre dryland cropping and sheep farm.

Tiyce, who is a punter for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team, said agriculture has always been an important part of his life and is an industry he hopes to remain involved in long-term.

“Ag Progress Days is an opportunity for me to see how agriculture is done here in the U.S., especially the machinery and new technology being used,” he said. “It also is a great way to meet people in the ag industry and make connections. It’s interesting to hear from farmers and people working in agriculture here and compare their experiences with what I’ve seen back home.”

Equine activities, the Pasto Agricultural Museum and other exhibits and demonstrations offered visitors additional opportunities to experience agriculture firsthand. On Wednesday, more than 600 agricultural leaders, government officials, producers, industry representatives and Penn State stakeholders gathered for the annual Government and Industry Luncheon, during which they discussed issues and challenges facing Pennsylvania agriculture.

Speakers included Neeli Bendapudi, Penn State president; Troy Ott, Peter and Ann Tombros Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences; Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding; U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson; and Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, who presented a proclamation from Gov. Josh Shapiro commemorating 50 years of Rock Springs as the permanent expo site. Waded Cruzado, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, also addressed the crowd.

Among those who attended the luncheon was Matt Gabler, chief operating officer of the Appropriations Committee of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, who said the event provides a valuable opportunity to learn about the people and organizations driving agriculture in the commonwealth.

“Penn State does a great job of bringing together people in agriculture, people who are making investments, people who are maintaining our way of life,” Gabler said. “So, this is a great opportunity to put things back in perspective, connect with reality and enjoy ourselves while we’re doing it.”

For some, Ag Progress Days is a tradition that stretches back nearly as far as the show’s time at Rock Springs. Sue Nuss, of State College, for example, has volunteered with the Ag Progress Days office since the 1970s. Her late husband, Bob, an ornamental horticulture professor and extension specialist, also was an active Ag Progress Days supporter, often manning the “Ask the Experts” booth.

Over the decades, Nuss has watched the show change, but one thing has kept her coming back: the people.

“It’s interesting to see how everything comes together,” she said. “And then there are the connections — seeing people you’ve known over the years and running into people you haven’t seen in a long time. And, of course, meeting new friends.”

As Ag Progress Days marked 50 years at Rock Springs, the blend of familiar faces and newcomers reflected both the continuity of the show and the changes in agriculture it has showcased over the decades, noted Ott, who, in addition to serving as the college’s dean, is the director of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station.

“The equipment, technology and agricultural practices on display have changed tremendously since Ag Progress Days began, but the reason people continue to come really hasn’t changed,” he said. “They come to see what’s new in agriculture, learn something and, just as importantly, connect with the people who make up our agricultural community.”