Cable TV Series To Feature Penn State College Of Ag Sciences Research

University Park, Pa. -- Food and agricultural research conducted by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences will be featured in a new cable-television series debuting this week.

"From the Farms to the Table" is a series of six, 30-minute programs developed by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and produced by the Pennsylvania Cable Network. The programs will explore Pennsylvania's farm, agribusiness and food industries and are scheduled to air on PCN statewide in the days leading up to the 2011 Pennsylvania Farm Show, which opens Jan. 8.

The segment featuring the College of Agricultural Sciences will be broadcast initially at 8 p.m. on Jan. 5. Those who do not have cable television can view the programs live by visiting PCN's website and clicking on "Live Signal."

"From the Farms to the Table" is produced in the PCN Tours format. The on-air host for the College of Agricultural Sciences segment is Bruce McPheron, dean of the college.

Other segments will cover stops at Truckenmiller's Dry Run Dairy Farm, a family dairy and crops farm in Northumberland County; Flinchbaugh's Orchard and Farm Market in York County, a family-owned fruit, vegetable and grain operation that sells food directly to consumers from the family's farm market; New Holland's farm equipment manufacturing facility in Lancaster County, which represents the vital role agribusinesses play in creating jobs throughout rural communities; Sterman Masser Potato Farms in Schuylkill County, a family operation that grows, processes, packages and transports food to retail food stores; and a Giant Food Stores perishable-foods distribution center and supermarket in Cumberland County, where consumers are able to purchase products produced on Pennsylvania farms, completing the chain from the farm to the table.

Flinchbaugh's and Sterman Masser are wholly or partly owned and operated by College of Agricultural Sciences alumni.

"These programs tell the story of how our food is produced and processed, the importance of research and technology and what's involved in getting food to the grocery store and the consumer's kitchen table," said Farm Bureau President Carl T. Shaffer. "Farm Bureau and PCN wanted to better connect consumers with this huge industry."

Premiere broadcasts of the series of shows began on Tuesday, Jan. 4 and run through Thursday, Jan. 6, with two shows running each night, starting at 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Following the initial broadcasts, the shows will re-air in two-show, one-hour blocks beginning at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. the following day.

All six episodes will be broadcast back-to-back from 9 p.m. to midnight on Friday, Jan. 7. In addition, the shows will be rebroadcast on other dates following the conclusion of the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

The programs also are streamed live from PCN's website at pcntv.com, where program schedules are posted. PCN reaches more than 2 million homes through nearly 150 cable systems in Pennsylvania.

The full "From the Farms to the Table" broadcast schedule appears below:


Tuesday, Jan. 4

8 p.m. -- Truckenmiller's Dry Run Dairy Farm

8:30 p.m. -- Flinchbaugh's Orchard and Farm Market



Wednesday, Jan. 5

1 a.m. -- Truckenmiller's Dry Run Dairy Farm

1:30 a.m. -- Flinchbaugh's Orchard and Farm Market

10 a.m. -- Truckenmiller's Dry Run Dairy Farm

10:30 a.m. -- Flinchbaugh's Orchard and Farm Market

2 p.m. -- Truckenmiller's Dry Run Dairy Farm

2:30 p.m. -- Flinchbaugh's Orchard and Farm Market

8 p.m. -- Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences

8:30 p.m. -- New Holland



Thursday, Jan. 6

1 a.m. -- Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences

1:30 a.m. -- New Holland

10 a.m. -- Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences

10:30 a.m. -- New Holland

2 p.m. -- Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences

2:30 p.m. -- New Holland

8 p.m. -- Sterman Masser Potato Farms

8:30 p.m. -- Giant Food Stores



Friday, Jan. 7

1 a.m. -- Sterman Masser Potato Farms

1:30 a.m. -- Giant Food Stores

10 a.m. -- Sterman Masser Potato Farms

10:30 a.m. -- Giant Food Stores

2 p.m. -- Sterman Masser Potato Farms

2:30 p.m. -- Giant Food Stores

9 p.m. -- All six episodes air back-to-back

Source: Penn State University

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