Fruit Research and Extension Center
The Fruit Research and Extension Center (FREC) in Biglerville is situated on 180 acres of fertile land in south-central Pennsylvania, in the heart of the major tree fruit production area of the state.
In addition to providing site-specific conditions for research, the facility increases opportunities for growers, consultants, consumers, and students to observe experiments and to consult with scientists. Extension specialists apply experimental findings to local conditions, and, in turn, make suggestions to scientists about new research needs.
Latest News
July 1, 2025
FREC Field Day: Variable-Rate Spraying Shows Promise in Orchards
Digital imaging is poised to reduce chemical thinner usage in orchards. Long He, a Penn State ag engineering professor, demonstrated the technology June 25 at the university’s Fruit Research and Extension Center field day. Vivid Machines produced the specialized camera, which He mounted on a side-by-side to count the number of fruitlets on each tree.
Read MoreJune 26, 2025
FREC Field Day: Heat Wave and Power Outage Can't Stop Adams County Field Day
How do you safely hold an outdoor event for 170-plus people in the midst of a heat wave — and without power? That was the question Kari Peter faced Monday night as she arrived at Penn State's Fruit Research and Extension Center to find the building dark. The research center’s biggest public event, held only every two or three years, was due to start Wednesday morning, and a fire at a nearby substation had just knocked out power to Peter's house, and to much of northern Adams County.
Read MoreFebruary 1, 2025
Krawczyk to Take the Helm of Penn State's Biglerville-based Research Facility
Grzegorz Krawczyk, Penn State Extension tree-fruit entomologist and research professor in the Department of Entomology, has been appointed as the new director of the Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center in Biglerville, PA.
Read MoreJanuary 18, 2025
After Impactful Career, Harper Retires from Fruit Research and Extension Center
Jayson Harper, director of the Fruit Research and Extension Center in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences since March 2019, retired from Penn State effective January 17, 2025.
Read MoreSpotlight
Growing Innovations in the Fruit Industry
The tree fruit team works with stakeholder advisors to implement research-based programs to ensure a production-to-consumer system that is environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.
Spotted Lanternfly
Learn about the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), and what action you can take to stop the spread of this invasive insect that is threatening the northeastern United States, especially southeastern Pennsylvania.
Young Grower Alliance
YGA offers educational opportunities for growers taking over the family operation, developing a new enterprise or innovating production practices.