Welcome! It is my pleasure to lead the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture during 2023-2024.

Promoting knowledge exchange continually since 1785 to further the understanding and appreciation of agriculture – historical, current, and future – is the mission of the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture. Members of the society volunteer their time in several areas by providing researchers with opportunities to use the archives of the Society hosted by the University of Pennsylvania Library and sharing the history of the organization with scholars and the general public alike. We also provide students with scholarships and opportunities that lead to highly important careers in agriculture and the food industry. 

Through our meetings, we report topics that encourage thinking about agriculture as part of the larger context of a food system as a way of understanding its component parts.  We strive to understand new technology and how it impacts urban agriculture as well as global trade through the Port of Philadelphia. I encourage you to get involved not only in these monthly presentations but also with the committees and working groups that are part of the Society structure.

Please let me know if I can help get you involved with the society at the level you wish. If you are not a member, then I hope that you will join us in person or virtually. Please consider membership in the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture, the nation’s oldest scientific society. For more information, please visit https://pspaonline.com/ or contact pspaonline@gmail.com

cheers,

Dr. Arland Hotchkiss President