10/15/2019
Pennsylvania’s $28.9 million Christmas tree industry was highlighted today when Agriculture Deputy Secretary Fred Strathmeyer joined the National Christmas Tree Association at Mahantongo Valley Farms in Northumberland County where a tree was chosen for the White House.
10/14/2019
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today invited singers statewide to enter “Oh, Say, Can You Sing?”, a star-spangled sing-off to win a chance to inspire 2020 Pennsylvania Farm Show visitors with their voices. Each morning of the Farm Show will feature a talented Pennsylvanian singing the national anthem live, and the contest, which runs until Monday, October 28, 2019, will determine who wins the honor of singing each morning.
10/11/2019
Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding yesterday visited two Lancaster County farms that supply cheese to Philabundance, a nonprofit which received a $63,000 PA Dairy Investment Program grant earlier this year to market their Abundantly Good cheese brand in the greater Philadelphia region. Oak Shade Cheese in Kirkwood and Sunset Farms in Ronks supply cheese to Philabundance. Proceeds from the sale of the cheese brand go to purchase surplus milk from Lancaster County dairy farmers to produce more cheese that is then donated to Philabundance clients.
10/11/2019
Today, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and members of the Pennsylvania Commission for Agricultural Education Excellence joined FFA members and educators of Cumberland Valley High School for an FFA Showcase to cap off Pennsylvania’s Ag and Food Careers Week. Surrounded by those most invested in both education and agriculture, Secretary Redding announced the availability of $500,000 through the PA Farm Bill’s Ag and Youth Grant Program to fund projects such as ag education and workforce development programs, seminars and field trips, agricultural safety training, capital projects, or equipment purchases that will help to build a strong future workforce for Pennsylvania’s leading industry.
10/10/2019
The farms protected at Thursday’s meeting of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board represent targeted investments in the future of farming, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said.
10/08/2019
Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding today opened the 2019 PA Hemp Summit, greeting more than 500 entrepreneurs eager to get in on the ground-level of Pennsylvania’s new hemp industry. Redding announced the availability of $460,000 in new state funding through Specialty Crop Block Grants created under the PA Farm Bill. Funding will be available to enhance the market for and competitiveness of crops, including hemp, which are designated as high priority because of their growth potential.
10/08/2019
Farmers in Beaver, Crawford, Erie, Lawrence, and Mercer counties are eligible to receive disaster relief assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding shared today.
10/04/2019
Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding joined 2,800 elementary students and teachers from six mid-state counties for a tour of Farm City Day at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center. Students got an up-close experience with 21st century agriculture careers from soil and plant science to animal nutrition and veterinary medicine.
10/04/2019
The Pennsylvania departments of Agriculture and Health today reminded Pennsylvanians to take every possible precaution against mosquito bites for themselves and their animals, especially horses. Last month, the administration announced the confirmation of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a rare mosquito-transmitted viral infection, in Erie, Carbon, and Monroe counties. As of this week, new cases have been confirmed in both Luzerne and Mercer counties.
10/03/2019
Harrisburg, PA - Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today called for proposals for projects designed to expand sales of Pennsylvania agricultural products. The department will award up to $300,000 in matching funds to PA nonprofits to reimburse up to 50% of costs for promotional and educational projects intended to increase consumer awareness and sales or grow export markets. Priority consideration will be given to educational exhibits and vendors at the 2020 PA Farm Show.
10/02/2019
York, PA - Today, Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding was joined by the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association to announce the launch of EatSafePA, a free mobile app that allows Pennsylvanians to have restaurant inspection reports at their fingertips to help them choose a dining establishment without fear of foodborne illness.
10/02/2019
Enjoy a fall-weather preview of the Pennsylvania Farm Show, complete with homemade barbecue, draft horses on parade, and opportunities for hands-on learning and up-close visits with livestock with the Keystone International Livestock Exposition (KILE) starting Thursday, October 3, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg.
10/01/2019
Today, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding reminded Pennsylvanians that Fall is the perfect time to enjoy local food and make memories on the farm. From pumpkin patches to mazes of corn; we’re in peak season for agritourism.
09/27/2019
On the heels of Spotted Lanternfly sightings throughout Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Fred Strathmeyer was joined by partners in the fight against this invasive species in LOVE Park to educate Philadelphians about why the Spotted Lanternfly is bad and what they should do when they see the invasive insects.
09/26/2019
The 104th Pennsylvania Farm Show aims to showcase the countless ways to be a part of Pennsylvania’s vibrant and diverse agriculture industry and its promising future through its theme: Imagine the Opportunities.
09/26/2019
A three-decade partnership has secured the future of more than 20,000 acres of Cumberland County farmland, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said today.
09/25/2019
Paige Peiffer of Lebanon, Lebanon County, will represent the state’s dairy industry at events across the state for the next year as its 63rd Pennsylvania Dairy Princess. For the next year, Peiffer and her state royalty teammates will represent Pennsylvania’s dairy industry and its 6,650 dairy farm families. Dairy is the state’s top agriculture industry sector, contributing nearly $14.7 billion to the economy and supporting more than 52,000 jobs across the state.
09/21/2019
The Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture and Health today warned Pennsylvanians to take precautionary measures against mosquito bites for themselves and their animals – specifically horses – as the rare mosquito-transmitted viral infection Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) has been confirmed in Erie, Carbon, and Monroe counties.
09/20/2019
Mechanicsburg, PA - Today, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding shadowed a PA Preferred brewer to celebrate Pennsylvania’s booming craft beer industry during “Brewer for a Day” at Appalachian Brewing Company. Redding and artisan brewer Artie Tafoya crafted a PA Preferred Pale Ale with ingredients grown on Pennsylvania farms.
09/20/2019
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today was joined by Wolf Administration officials and leaders of agricultural advocacy organizations at the Perry County State Health Center to bring attention to the opioid epidemic in farm country and provide resources to those struggling with opioid-use disorder.
09/18/2019
Elizabethtown, PA - Today, Secretary Russell Redding joined farmers and equipment dealers to announce the availability of $13 million in Pennsylvania tax credits for on-farm conservation efforts. At Messick’s Equipment in Elizabethtown, he outlined enhancements to PA’s nationally-recognized Resource Enhancement and Protection Program (REAP) thanks to Governor Tom Wolf's PA Farm Bill.
09/17/2019
Harrisburg, PA - In recognition of National Farm Safety Week, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding urged extra caution on Pennsylvania roads, and reminded farmers of newly loosened restrictions on farm implement width.
09/17/2019
Harrisburg, PA - Today, the Wolf Administration opened the second round of $5 million in funding available through the Pennsylvania Dairy Investment Program. The announcement came during the second annual Dairy Innovation Forum, bringing resources and opportunities to dairy producers to sustain and grow their businesses in a challenging marketplace.
09/11/2019
Harrisburg, PA - The Environmental Defense Fund and National Association of State Departments of Agriculture recognized Pennsylvania’s Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) tax credit program as an innovative, state-led model for conservation funding. A joint report released by the two groups yesterday named Pennsylvania among states that support farmers by creatively financing their efforts to improve soil resources, and water quality on the farm and downstream.
09/11/2019
One of the nation’s largest dairy cattle exhibitions, the All-American Dairy Show, returns to Harrisburg this weekend, bringing five days of showring competition, youth development programs, industry networking, and a seminar on opportunities in the dairy industry to the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg.
09/06/2019
Pittsburgh, PA - Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding joined more than 600 Mt. Lebanon High School students, administrators, and University of Pittsburgh officials to kick off Game Day Meals, a program providing locally-grown, nutritious meals designed to support peak performance in the classroom, on stage, and on the athletic field. Game Day Meals is a partnership of the state PA Preferred® program and University of Pittsburgh’s dining services, with support from the university’s dietary science and business programs, to offer performance-boosting meals on Fridays to 50,000 students in Pittsburgh-area schools.
09/03/2019
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture today invited first- through eighth-grade students to help spread the message about the threat of the invasive Spotted Lanternfly by entering the 2019 calendar contest.
09/03/2019
Harrisburg, PA - Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) held the inaugural meeting of the Pennsylvania Dairy Future Commission. The commission, the result of Act 66, signed by the Governor in July and prime sponsored by Senator Jake Corman, is responsible for reviewing the status of Pennsylvania’s dairy industry and making recommendations to support its future.