The Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension Program and RGIS are developing several internet-based mapping applications to enhance and promote the agricultural business community throughout the state. Three projects will be demonstrated and discussed: (1) AgMap, a direct-marketing and communication portal; (2) FarmMap, an agricultural land evaluation and leasing system, and (3) The Pennsylvania Vineyard Site Assessment System (PVSAS), a vineyard siting system. AgMap, is a free system that provides visibility for agricultural producers and service providers through internet marketing. In addition, AgMap provides a communication network within the agricultural community and access to educational information. In Pennsylvania, nearly 30% of agricultural land is leased, yet connecting farmers with available land is difficult. FarmMap, is an internet-based system that allows landowners to advertise their land online and farmers to search a database for suitable property. Online mapping allows users to efficiently evaluate the land by producing mapping of soils, topography, field boundaries, floodplains, wetlands, land use, zoning and more. The increased efficiency will increase the likelihood that available land is leased for agriculture and not developed. PVSAS, provides online evaluation of land for it’s potential suitability for vineyard establishment. Southeastern Pennsylvania has some optimal conditions for vineyard establishment and economic returns are promising. PVSAS evaluates numerous environmental site conditions and provides support to potential growers.
Dr. Day is an Associate Professor of Soil Science and Environmental Information Systems in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State University. His current position is divided among cooperative extension, resident education, and research. He serves as Director of the Land Analysis Laboratory, Director of the Cooperative Extension Geospatial Technology Program, and Director of the Penn State – Chesapeake site of the National Consortium for Rural Geospatial Innovations (RuralGIS). Dr. Day has over 24 years of experience in geospatial sciences. Dr. Day’s extension activities focus on technology transfer of geospatial information system technologies to users throughout Pennsylvania and the surrounding region for use in environmental assessment, agriculture, K-12 education, local government, and land use planning and management. Dr. Day’s research interests include (1) the development of new applications of advanced geospatial technologies in natural resource, agricultural, and environmental studies, and (2) field soil science emphasizing soil physical properties and processes. Basic research interests have been in spatial data analysis, soil morphology, soil hydrologic processes, watershed hydrology, and nutrient and sediment transport modeling. Applied research is focused on the application of advanced information system technologies such as geographic information systems, remote sensing, terrain analysis, global positioning systems and computer modeling, to environmental assessment and management.
Eric Steele is a Systems Programmer/Coordinator for the Cooperative Extension Geospatial Technology Program at Penn State. His primary functions include the development and maintenance of AgMap, a website which aims to promote Pennsylvania's agriculture industry, and the Land Evaluation/Site Assessment extension for ArcView which aids local government in the process of farmland preservation. Eric earned his BS in Geography from Penn State in 1999.