TARA BAUGHER

ADDRESS:

Penn State Cooperative Extension of Adams County
670 Old Harrisburg Road, Suite 204
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717)-334-6271
tab36@psu.edu

Tara Baugher joined the Penn State Cooperative Extension horticulture team in 2004. She works with members of the fruit industry in Southeastl Region counties, with an office in Adams County.

Tara received her initial training in pomology from her mother and grandfather, who grew apples and peaches in Paw Paw, West Virginia. She has a BA degree from McDaniel College and MS and PhD degrees in plant science from West Virginia University. From 1980 to 1994, she was a West Virginia University tree fruit extension specialist and horticulture professor and from 1994 to 2004 served as a research consultant in south-central Pennsylvania.

The vision for the Southeast Region Tree Fruit Extension Program is to enhance orchard business retention through innovation. Four goals that also support university-wide strategic plans are to: 1) Develop risk management strategies to increase orchard profitability and management efficiency, 2) Improve environmental protection, natural resource conservation and social responsibility in orchard systems, 3) Work with industry groups to develop a road map for retooling mid-Atlantic orchard enterprises, and 4) Collaborate with grower associations and government representatives to increase industry leadership. Programs include grower trials on improved crop load management, workshops on advanced IPM strategies, a grassroots effort to increase the use of new technologies, and the formation of a coalition of young fruit growers to share ideas on securing the future of the fruit industry.