Native plants were the hot of the Mid-Atlantic Ornamental Horticulture Day that was sponsored by the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society, hosted by Longwood Gardens, and supported by the PA, DE, NJ and MD Landscape … Continued
From PSPA member Mike McGrath Some of you are aware that our son, Josh McGrath, is a member of PSPA, and has spoken at our meeting in the past. You may not know that Josh’s career in ag research started … Continued
PSPA started the new year on a health note with a lecture on Dietary Fiber and Functional Food Ingredients by Dr. Julie Hirsch, a consultant and former Director of Ingredion Materials Science and Applied Research. We all need to eat … Continued
For more than 230 years the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture has presented outstanding speakers on timely agricultural and food system topics. In this post we compile all the presentations that were made before the Society during our 2015 – … Continued
On Thursday, March 5, 2026, I had the opportunity to accompany colleagues from the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture to visit the “low-mowed pasture” aka the football field at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philly. The head groundskeeper explained to … Continued
The Shapiro Administration urges poultry producers and companies serving them to remain on high alert and reinforce on-farm biosecurity measures PUBLISHED ON February 19, 2026 by Office of the Governor, Harrisburg, PA Governor Josh Shapiro recently announced that his Administration … Continued
Thank gene editing SaveShare March 4, 2026 “YOU DON’T notice the seeds in a blackberry until you’ve tried a seedless one,” says Tom Adams, the boss of Pairwise, a biotech company in North Carolina that is working on the first iteration … Continued
At the Pennsylvania Farm Show on January 15, 2026, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture recognized the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture, particularly the Urban Agriculture Committee chaired by Dr. Tiffany Turrentine and Jessica McAtamney, for its collaboration with the Department … Continued
Marian Hollenbeck is a recipient of the Fred Winter 2026 Memorial Award for Excellence in Horticulture given by the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture. Hollenbeck is a senior at Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, New Brunswick, NJ … Continued
The Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture is the oldest agricultural society in the United States Organized in 1785, it has played key roles in developing many of the farming methods and institutionsresponsible for the abundance that is the hallmark of … Continued
PreambleThis essay was prepared in connection with remarks delivered to the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture on January 8, 2026, and is respectfully submitted for inclusion in the Society’s records. Consistent with the Society’s longstanding tradition, dating to its founding … Continued
One of our most popular PSPA programs every year is “A Conversation with the Secretaries of Agriculture of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Nearly 100 people attended the 90-minute Zoom webinar on December 4, 2025 Using a … Continued
At the November 6, 2025 meeting of the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture held at the Union League in Philadelphia, Dr. Erik Ervin, the Associate Dean and Director of Cooperative Extension at the University of Delaware (Newark, DE) presented a … Continued
The Philadelphia Flower Show, the nation’s oldest and largest, is powered by almost 3,000 volunteers who perform a variety of vital functions. Volunteer shifts average about four hours and include free entry to the show. Show dates are February 27-March 8, 2026. Robert … Continued
