It hasn't seemed much like winter in recent weeks, but the calendar still says that it's a good time of year to take a break from the chores to attend one of the many educational programs offered by Cooperative Extension during the winter months. A brief description of several upcoming meetings is listed below.

- NW Beef Management Workshop Series — A series of meetings for area beef producers will be held Feb. 9, 16, and 23 at the Wesley Grange, located approximately one mile north of Interstate 80. Each of the three sessions will begin at 7 p.m.

The first session will focus on profitability and will feature Barry Dunn from Texas A&M as the speaker.

The state's Beef Quality Assurance program and the technology of identification will be topics of discussion for second session speakers from the state Beef Council and the state Department of Agriculture.

The series will conclude with a discussion on calving with Dr. David Wolfgang, Penn State University, and Dustin Heeter, extension livestock educator.

Registration deadline for the NW Beef Management Workshop is Feb. 3. There is a $10 per person fee for each session or $15 for two people from the same farm.

To attend all three sessions, the registration fee is $25 per person or $40 for two people from the same farm. The registration fee includes materials and refreshments for each session.

For a copy of the brochure and registration form, contact the Butler County Extension Office at 724-287-4761.

Beginning Beekeeping Seminar — Managing honeybees can be a very rewarding enterprise and a profitable sideline. You may want to keep bees for the honey they produce or for the pollination they provide.

This seminar is designed to help you understand the things that are necessary to get started in beekeeping.

The seminar will be offered on Feb. 11 at the Leslie Firth Learning Center, Mercer County Extension Office, and on Feb. 25 at the Westmoreland County Extension Office. The agenda is the same for both sessions, beginning at 9 a.m. and adjourning by 4 p.m.

Registration is $25 per person and is due by Jan. 27. The fee includes lunch and program materials. A second family member may attend for a fee of $20. Youth registrations, 18 and younger, are $10.

For a copy of the brochure and additional registration information, contact the Butler County Extension Office at 724-287-4761.

- Western Pennsylvania Beekeeping Seminar — For the more experienced beekeeper or for the beginner that wants to learn more about managing beehives, the Western Pennsylvania Beekeeping Seminar will be offered Feb. 17 and 18 at Penn State University's Beaver Campus.

Maintaining strong beehives to produce abundant quantities of high-quality honey is the goal of most beekeepers.

Understanding bee behavior and the pests that affect bees will help improve management to reach this goal. Marketing a high-quality product to meet consumer demand will help to ensure the economic viability of this industry.

This year's program will feature nationally recognized researchers Dr. Marla Spivak, David VanderDussen, Maryann Frazier, and Dennis vanEnglesdorp. They will address timely integrated pest management programs that will improve management. In addition, participants will also learn new ideas for raising queens, identifying diseases and nectar sources, and working with wax.

Registrations of $25 per person are required by Feb. 10. For a brochure detailing the seminar schedule and registration information, contact the extension office at 724-287-4761.

The annual Butler County Crops Day will be conducted Feb. 9 at the East Butler Fire Hall in East Butler.Registration and viewing of commercial exhibits will begin at 9:30 a.m. The program will get under way at 10 a.m. and adjourn at 3 p.m.This year's program will feature Dwight Lingenfelter and Doug Beegle, Penn State University agronomists.Lingenfelter will present "Herbicide Update and Weed Management Tactics" and a weed management exercise.Beegle's presentation will focus on "Strategies for Dealing with High Fertilizer Prices."Kevin Fry, Penn State Extension agronomy educator, will discuss "Pesticide Formulations," and Lee Miller, Beaver County Extension director, will speak to attendees about "Pesticide Jeopardy".Pending final approval from the state Department of Agriculture, the meeting will qualify for update credits for core and category 01 (agronomy) for those with a pesticide applicator's license.The cost of the meeting is $10 per person, which includes lunch. A copy of the program and registration form is available by contacting the extension office at 724-287-4761.Registration deadline is Feb. 1.This material is submitted by Donna Zang, Extension director, and the staff of the Penn State Extension office at the Sunnyview Nursing Home complex.