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 lecture entitled “Agricultural Extension and Outreach in Today’s Land Grant Universities”.

This presentation reviewed the breadth and depth of agriculture extension in a modern land grant university with best practices from the Delaware system, where he recently lead a USDA-funded project: “Sustainability Scholars Program – Increasing Underrepresented Student Success Through Experiential Learning”. Dr. Ervin provided current insight into cooperative extension and outreach opportunities for our students and future leaders in agriculture.

Before advancing his academic career into administration, he was a professor of plant physiology at Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA) and the University of Missouri (Columbia, MO). At the University of Delaware, He is a Fellow in the American Society of Agronomy.

In addition, PSPA honored retired New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher for his substantial contribution to agriculture in the region by presenting him with the Society medal.

FFA and MANNRS officers and advisors from the schools in the Philadelphia area- Lankenau, Saul, and the University School -provided an overview of their chapter activities for the school year.