President's Message Apr. 4

Posted by Ron Searfoss 
on Apr 04, 2016
 
At our last meeting, we were fortunate to have Andrea Tessier, the District Director Penn State Cooperative Extension Lehigh & Northampton Counties (PSE).
  
 
As soon as Andrea began to talk, I realized my perceptions of what the Extension was all about and reality were worlds apart. PSE is part of the national Cooperative Extension network administered by land-grant universities across the country. In Pennsylvania, it is unique to the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. The mission is to discover, integrate, translate, and disseminate knowledge to enhance the food and agricultural system, natural resources and environmental stewardship, economic and social well-being, thereby improving the lives of people in Pennsylvania, the nation, and the world.
 
A much easier way to say it in Rotary terms –
 
The Focus of PSE in the Lehigh Valley is to
Strengthen the economic viability of agricultural based businesses in the Lehigh Valley; and
Foster a strong and healthy community.
 
This is supported with unbiased, research based information.
 
There are supporting offices and staffs in all 67 Pennsylvania counties. They provide programs of support in Education and Information, Business and Job Development, Community and Family Development and Services and Research. These range from nationally recognized Equine programs and environmentally focused farms to local 4H Clubs, lawn and gardens of residents, land preservation, and the Lehigh Valley Food Council, etc.!
 
PSE represents an amazingly broad umbrella of help and support to our state citizens. For more information and education see extension.psu.edu.
Thank you Andrea!
 
This Week’s Meeting
Please join us this Thursday, April 7th when our speaker will be Past District Governor BJ Metz.  His topic will be of interest to many – the Miracle League of Northampton County.
 
  
 
 
If you would like to learn more about either Bethlehem Morning Star or Rotary International, please contact Ron Searfoss at rsearfos@ptd.net or 610-504-1460.
   
Be a gift to your world!
President Ron