In any occupation, people always want to know: what's your most interesting client/job/story etc.? As Extension Educators, a number of those stories exist for sure. But, the most meaningful and fulfilling experiences in this job are the lives one touches in the name of education.
One such story began over 5 years ago with a phone call from the Rockview Correctional Institute to re-establish a long-standing connections with Extension. Few people know the full story behind Rockview Correctional Institute, the medium/minimum security correctional facility that sits just north of Penn State University. With their permission, we would like to share our experiences there.
The Rockview Correctional Institute, or simply Rockview, began with land purchases in 1912. Over the course of the next several years, and decades, additional surrounding acreage was purchased to expand to the now nearly 7,000 acres in Benner Township that Rockview calls "home." The little-known secret is that these acres are some of the most productive in Centre County and they are still farmed today by the men housed at Rockview.
Historically, Rockview had served as a branch institution for the Western Correctional Institute (The Institution of Pittsburgh). However, in 1953 the Bureau of Corrections made Rockview an independent institution. The long history of agriculture at the institution remained unchanged.
The farm ground surrounding Rockview is so productive that at one point in its history Rockview boasted a cannery that ran 12 to 16 hours per day and, at peak season, employed 110 Rockview residents on a daily basis. This, even though less than half the land surrounding the institute was tillable. Still, even on those non-tillable acres, agriculture flourished. The Bureau of Corrections enlisted its own Forestry Division and operated "Correctional Conservation Camps." The mobile camps were designed to harvest and conserve the forests surrounding Rockview and its farmland. At one point in its history, 15 Rockview residents operated a sawmill where other residents would bring trees to be turned into lumber for the institute's use or the construction of Turnpike buildings, PennDOT shelters, and wood for sale to the general public. All of this under the watchful eye of a professional forester.
In addition to its crops and forestry, Rockview has long been home to agricultural animals reared by residents to feed residents. If you were wondering where and how the Extension Livestock Team entered this saga, here is our cue!
When first called to Rockview, Extension Beef Cattle Specialist, Dr. Tara Felix, met with the, then interim, warden to discuss better management of the beef cow herd. Now, many of our readers have probably seen the Rockview beef herd and simply not realized it. Next time you are traveling North on I-99 away from Penn State, just glance to your right and you'll see a picturesque little farm where the cattle of Rockview reside. In 2017, the cow herd consisted of a meager 17 cows. The cows were predominantly being fed harvested feeds and Rockview wanted to do better. They knew that the productive acreage around the, then, over trafficked paddock could be utilized better, but they did not quite know where to start. They worked with Penn State Extension agronomist and beef cattle experts to turn the farm around.
Now, the nearly 100 head of mature cows produce an annual calf crop that is fed to finish and subsequently used to feed residents not only at Rockview but at other institutions around PA. The cows are now housed on a heavy use pad over the winter months and fed, in part, from the 20 acres of harvest Sudan Grass the residents put up, instead of the silage and corn grain that was making mature cows fat and prone to calving difficulty. The 85 acres of summer pastures, recently expanded this year, now boast rotational grazing through sections of 14 total pastures with movements that would rival experienced grazier's operations across the Commonwealth. Purchased bulls, beginning with a Hereford from the PA Department of Agriculture bull test in 2018, have improved the calving ease and carcass merit of the herd.
In addition to the cattle, other livestock enterprises are being added to and expanded at Rockview. Dr. Elizabeth Hines has worked with Rockview as they have sought to incorporate swine into their farm enterprises. They hope to expand this enterprise in the future to provide a supply of pork for the residents as well.
Perhaps the most rewarding part of this Extension story is not the success of the farm, but of its people. Currently, the agriculture unit employs 8 men daily, with an additional 6 to 8 called upon for help during peak harvest seasons. These men consider their work at the farm each day essential and a privilege. Over the years, these men have blossomed under the training of their corrections officers turned farm managers and supervisors. It is obvious in the way they discuss their past farm experiences, the way they share their dreams of future careers in agriculture, and the way they carry around their 1980 agroforestry books and quiz Extension personnel on the best trees to plant to establish a good silvopasture system. There is hope in the eyes of these men. There is a future in the education of these men. And, there is a promise that another generation will carry on in agriculture when someone gives them a chance. This is why we educate.
Source : psu.edu