CLARION, Pa. — The Western PA Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology, student organization at Clarion University, will hold its second annual Western PA Conservation Conference, “Feeding Ourselves, Feeding the Land: Where Agriculture and Conservation Meet,” on Saturday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

In a world where populations are increasing at a seemingly exponential rate, growing crops and rearing animals as food have become a pressing form of science and a hot topic of conversation in the media. Modern agriculture has come a long way since its humble beginnings, but balancing progress with sustainability has become a challenge.

With so many options for optimizing yield, controlling weeds and pests and raising animals, our food choices have become riddled with new labels and consequent questions about the conservation impacts of each variety.

During this talk, our panelists will discuss our biggest agricultural conservation threats, some of the best options for addressing these threats and what could be done better for the future of conservation.

Panelists include: Maggie Robertson, vice-chair of the Pennsylvania Women’s Agricultural Network; Jeff Fowler, District 2 director of the Penn State Extension; Bob Madden, outreach manager of Garden Dreams Urban Farm and Nursery; and Pete Burns, farmer at the Heritage Farm. Panelists were selected to represent a variety of interests and experiences in agriculture, to fully address the status of conservation in agriculture.

The conference, free and open to the public, will be held at Clarion University’s Grunenwald Center for Science and Technology, room 120.