08/15/2018
Pennsylvania Furnace, PA - On behalf of Governor Tom Wolf, today Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding unveiled a plan designed to guide Pennsylvania’s dairy industry toward growth and development amid a challenging market that also offers tremendous opportunities for producers and processors. The Secretary released the Pennsylvania Dairy Development Plan during a breakfast of dairy industry leaders at the annual Ag Progress Days exhibition.
08/14/2018
Pennsylvania Furnace, PA - Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) joined Penn State University at the College of Agricultural Science’s Ag Progress Days to host a public townhall on the Spotted Lanternfly – an invasive insect that has the potential to impact a number of industries worth tens of billions of dollars to the state.
08/14/2018
Pennsylvania Furnace, PA - Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today praised winners of the annual Dairy of Distinction Awards during the Penn State College of Agricultural Science’s Ag Progress Days.<br>
08/10/2018
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today urged Pennsylvanians to submit their comments on a proposed regulation to provide more flexibility to raw milk cheese producers and more options to consumers. Under the proposed change, raw milk cheese manufacturers could make any variety of cheese for which there is a federal standard of identity, building upon the current, more restrictive state definitions. <br>
08/10/2018
On behalf of Governor Tom Wolf, state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced today that Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Land Preservation Board permanently preserved 2,303 acres on 30 farms in 16 counties for agricultural production.
08/06/2018
Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA), the United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Penn State University provided an update on their work to control the spread of the Spotted Lanternfly – an invasive insect that has the potential to seriously impact the tree-fruit, grape, and timber industries, which are collectively worth nearly $18 billion to the state's economy.
08/02/2018
Media, PA - Pennsylvania is home to more than 1,000 farmers’ markets, with local, nutritious, and affordable produce generating more than $140 million for the commonwealth’s economy. Today, in recognition of those significant contributions, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced that Governor Tom Wolf has declared August 2018 as Produce Month in Pennsylvania.
07/31/2018
Tests by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa have confirmed the presence of Asian, or longhorn tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, in Pennsylvania. An invasive species that congregates in large numbers and can cause anemia in livestock, the tick was discovered on a wild deer in Centre County. It is known to carry several diseases that infect hogs and cattle in Asia. So far, ticks examined in the U.S. do not carry any infectious pathogens.
07/27/2018
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today honored the Wenk family’s Three Springs Fruit Farm, which has been in their family for 100 years, as a Pennsylvania Century Farm. He praised the Wenks for their efforts to diversify as they seek to capitalize on shifting consumer demands for new products and generate new sources of revenue that have not only sustained the operation for a century, but positioned it for future prosperity.
07/25/2018
Food safety inspectors with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture are offering free on-farm readiness reviews to assess whether produce growers are ready to meet new preventative food safety standards under the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The new standards took effect for fruit and vegetable producers this season.
07/20/2018
Harrisburg, PA - This week, proclaimed by Governor Wolf as Urban Agriculture Week in Pennsylvania, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding visited farms at seven different sites in three Pennsylvania cities, learning how their efforts are improving their communities.
06/29/2018
Harrisburg, PA - With a serious heat wave affecting much of the state and country, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today cautioned livestock and pet owners to take measures to protect animals from high temperatures that can cause them to suffer from heat-related stress.
06/27/2018
Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding today praised the 2018-19 budget Governor Tom Wolf signed last week for its investments to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the commonwealth’s agriculture industry.<br>
06/25/2018
Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding visited the Lancaster Barnstormers’ Farm Show Weekend Saturday on the Planting the Seed Tour, an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to highlight career and educational opportunities in agriculture. Prior to throwing out the first pitch at tonight’s game, Redding addressed 150 area agriculture leaders, emphasizing the importance of investing strategically in building the skilled workforce the industry needs in the coming decade.
06/22/2018
Three proposed multi-state projects that seek to improve the nation’s specialty crop industry are now a reality through a partnership that includes the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The projects, overseen by the department, seek to control and prevent plant diseases and increase market opportunities for specialty crops across the United States.
06/21/2018
The Pennsylvania Horseracing Commission unanimously approved $300,000 in funding to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center Equine Pharmacology Laboratory to research genetic markers that will indicate when a horse has been illegally genetically modified to enhance performance. Funding was approved at the commission’s May 31 meeting.
06/18/2018
Revised standard animal weights that take effect in 2019 could reclassify some livestock operations as Concentrated Animal Operations (CAOs) or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), requiring those farms to adopt new levels of compliance with nutrient management laws.
06/13/2018
In recognition of the growing need for a workforce prepared to fill nearly 75,000 job vacancies in the agriculture and food industries over the next decade, the Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture (PDA) and Education (PDE) yesterday unveiled their comprehensive agricultural education report for schools across the commonwealth.
06/12/2018
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding continued the Planting the Seed Tour today at Oregon Dairy’s Family Farm Days, meeting with young people and their parents who came out to explore a working dairy farm and meet the people who care for animals, raise crops, and work in the many careers needed to produce the food, fiber, and fuel that powers our economy.
06/08/2018
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture today announced that three captive deer have tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Pennsylvania, bringing the total to 49 since the disease was discovered in Pennsylvania in 2012.
06/08/2018
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s (PDA) Planting the Seed Tour visited State College last night, as Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding congratulated participants of the Pennsylvania 4-H Science of Agriculture Challenge– a state competition that challenges student teams to work with mentors and industry leaders to create solutions to agriculture-related issues in their communities.
06/07/2018
Pennsylvania is a national leader in farmland preservation, and today, Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding announced that the state has hit a major milestone, preserving 550,000 acres of farmland in the commonwealth over the last three decades.
06/05/2018
Today, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding joined state officials and industry partners to celebrate National Dairy Month with milkshakes provided by the Pennsylvania Dairyman’s Association, a milk drive for Fill a Glass with Hope, guest appearances by former Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver Jason Avant and former “The Voice” contestant Olivia Farabaugh, and Pennsylvania Dairy Princesses.
06/04/2018
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today announced that as part of the Wolf Administration’s strategy for a hunger-free Pennsylvania, eligible residents can access fresh, Pennsylvania-grown produce – at no cost -- through the Women Infants and Children (WIC) and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs.
05/31/2018
The state Department of Agriculture announced today that state dog wardens will conduct dog license and rabies vaccination checks in 22 counties in June. This program aims to raise awareness of the importance of up-to-date dog licenses, and rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats to the health and safety of Pennsylvania communities.
05/25/2018
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today highlighted the importance of consumer safety at the kickoff event for Amusement Ride Safety Week. The event, held at Dutch Wonderland, aimed to educate Pennsylvania’s amusement park goers about the state’s efforts to keep them safe when riding amusement attractions.
05/23/2018
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today urged Pennsylvania’s dairy farmers to take advantage of the Margin Protection Program for dairy, or MPP-Dairy, by signing up ahead of the June 1 deadline.
05/22/2018
Members of Governor Wolf’s cabinet congratulated members of a team of local youth who accomplished international victory through teamwork, leadership, and a combination of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills.