06/02/2020
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association president Dr. Kate Harnish today reminded Pennsylvanians of the importance of getting back on track with regularly scheduled pet vaccinations and boosters. Maintaining up-to-date vaccines is not only important for the health and well-being of cats and dogs, but for the health and safety of Pennsylvanians.
06/01/2020
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today announced that the Department of Agriculture has received approval to continue operating the Disaster Household Distribution program, through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), to provide food to Pennsylvanians adversely affected by COVID-19 mitigation efforts. Originally approved by the USDA on March 27, the Disaster Household Distribution program, set to expire the end of May, has been approved through June 25.
05/27/2020
Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency Administrator (FSA) Richard Fordyce will join Senator Bob Casey and Congressman Glenn Thompson for a virtual town hall tonight with Pennsylvania agriculture stakeholders to answer questions about the $16 billion available to Pennsylvania farmers in direct relief payments, through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). The town hall will be livestreamed on Facebook at 6:00 PM.
05/27/2020
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture today warned consumers to discard certain milk products from Pot O’ Gold Dairy in Crawford County with sell-by dates ranging from May 16, 2020 to June 6, 2020. The products were not properly pasteurized.
05/23/2020
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and PennAg Industries today announced that $280,000 is available to Pennsylvania’s poultry, swine, lamb, goat, and sheep processors to reimburse costs associated with the purchase of personal protective equipment for their workforce through the Center for Poultry and Livestock Excellence, a result of Governor Tom Wolf’s 2019 Pennsylvania Farm Bill.
05/20/2020
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture today warned consumers to discard all dairy products from Moo Echo Dairy in Somerset County, regardless of sell-by date or lot code. The products were not properly pasteurized.
05/18/2020
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today announced that Pennsylvania has been awarded $255,373, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm to Food Bank Program, which the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture will distribute to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank to reimburse farmers for costs associated with harvesting, packing, processing, and distributing donated agricultural surplus.
05/15/2020
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today highlighted the department’s efforts to reduce food waste and decrease stress on our food supply chain. He also outlined steps Pennsylvanians can take at home to reduce food waste, and connect with organizations across the commonwealth working to recover food and distribute to those in need.
05/14/2020
The Department of Agriculture today outlined the order of enforcement actions that would be taken against restaurants offering dine-in services to patrons in violation of Governor Tom Wolf’s March 19 business closure Executive Order to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the commonwealth.
05/14/2020
Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Department of Aging Secretary Robert Torres today penned a letter to Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation urging legislative action to enable Pennsylvania’s older adults to access the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program during the mitigation effort.
05/13/2020
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today reminded Pennsylvanians the importance of mutual respect when patronizing Pennsylvania’s essential businesses – whether it be a grocery store, farmers market, restaurant, or hardware store. Business operators and their employees are working hard to protect each other and their consumers in a safe, clean environment.
05/13/2020
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding this week wrote to Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation asking for urgent support of Pennsylvania’s agriculture and food industries that have continued to operate and sustain life in the commonwealth despite the great risk, stress, uncertainty, and disruption brought by COVID-19.
05/06/2020
First Lady Frances Wolf, Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller, and Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today outlined food assistance programs available for Pennsylvanians to enroll in to get them through current COVID-19-induced tough times. They said Pennsylvanians should feel no shame in accepting state and federal food benefits that were, in fact, designed for unprecedented times like the coronavirus pandemic.
04/30/2020
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today reminded Pennsylvanians that with spring and warm weather comes farmers market season in the commonwealth. Farmers markets, like grocery stores, offer life-sustaining food and essentials and have been provided guidance from the department for how to continue operations safely and with minimal risk amid the COVID-19 public health crisis.
04/29/2020
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture today reviewed the Food and Drug Administration’s temporary policy regarding nutrition labeling during the COVID-19 public health crisis, and provided clarity behind new items for sale in Pennsylvania’s grocery stores and restaurants.
04/27/2020
Hoy, el Secretario de Agricultura Russell Redding anunció que los trabajadores que apoyan la cadena de suministro de alimentos de Pennsylvania en áreas seleccionadas del este de Pennsylvania (desde granjeros y trabajadores temporales, hasta centros de procesamiento y almacenamiento de alimentos, y trabajadores de tiendas de alimentos/supermercados) serían admitidos con prioridad para realizar las pruebas de COVID-19 en el sitio de pruebas masivas del condado de Montgomery o en el sitio de pruebas financiado con fondos federales en el condado de Luzerne, en Mohegan Sun.
04/25/2020
Today, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced that workers supporting Pennsylvania’s food supply chain in select areas of eastern Pennsylvania – from farmers and seasonal laborers, to food processing facilities and warehouses, and grocery store workers – would be eligible for priority COVID-19 testing at the Montgomery County mass testing site or the federally funded testing size in Luzerne County, at the Mohegan Sun.
04/24/2020
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today announced that the department will temporarily waive commercial feed requirements to enable mushroom and other produce-growers to distribute excess products as animal feed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This measure will give whole-food producers a market for surplus food and options for income to partially compensate for losses.
04/22/2020
Today, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding outlined progress made in Pennsylvania to secure the stability of the food supply, increase market opportunities, protect the workforce, and ensure food is plentiful and accessible for all Pennsylvanians as the commonwealth works to mitigate against COVID-19.
04/21/2020
Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture provided farmers who provide housing to their workforce – be it domestic, migrant, or guest H-2A workers – with enhanced requirements for seasonal farm labor to maintain a healthy agriculture workforce to ensure necessary farm labor can continue during COVID-19 mitigation in Pennsylvania. The Wolf Administration continues to advocate for a safe, skilled agriculture workforce to perform essential duties to keep Pennsylvania’s food supply chain strong.
04/21/2020
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding encouraged Pennsylvanians to continue supporting the commonwealth’s dairy farmers by purchasing milk and other dairy products produced locally. While the Department of Agriculture continues to advocate for Pennsylvania’s dairy farm families, farmers rely on direct support from consumers purchasing their products after the loss of two critical markets for fluid dairy and dairy products with the necessary closure of schools and restaurants statewide.
04/21/2020
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture today reported the first confirmed Spotted Lanternfly hatch of the year. The first-instar nymph was located by a USDA employee yesterday in the University City section of western Philadelphia, near the University of Pennsylvania/Drexel University.
04/17/2020
The PA Department of Agriculture today issued guidance for volunteers and employees of community gardens to continue working, with precautions, in recognition of them being critical to the resiliency of local food systems in Pennsylvania.
04/17/2020
Health Secretary Rachel Levine, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, and PEMA Director Randy Padfield today hosted a webinar with food processing facilities across the commonwealth to provide recommendations for reducing COVID-19 outbreaks among employees and maintaining continuity of operations for a secure food supply.
04/02/2020
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture announced today that in an effort to conserve personal protective equipment (PPE) for human healthcare workers, the Pennsylvania Dog Law that requires shelters and rescues to spay/neuter dogs and cats prior to adoption would be waived for pets adopted during active COVID-19 mitigation efforts in Pennsylvania.
04/02/2020
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Department of Agriculture Food Safety Director Jeff Warner today assured Pennsylvanians that there is no evidence that human or animal food or food packaging is associated with transmission of COVID-19. Redding also reviewed the department’s recommendations to retail food and agriculture operations for continuity of business, inhibiting transmission, and maintaining a healthy workforce to ensure continuous access to food during COVID-19.
03/26/2020
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture today issued guidance for the commonwealth’s essential grocery stores to ensure continuation of services to Pennsylvanians while maintaining a healthy workforce.
03/24/2020
The Wolf Administration today reminded Pennsylvanians of food assistance resources available and what actions it is taking to ensure access to food does not stop in spite of the COVID-19 mitigation efforts.
03/20/2020
In recognition of the critical role boarding kennels, doggie daycares, shelters, sanctuaries, and rescues play in ensuring essential workers and at-risk individuals have a safe place to house dogs and the need for continued care for Pennsylvania’s strays, the Department of Agriculture today issued guidance for protecting staff and volunteers of such facilities. Advice was also offered to pet owners to protect themselves and their furry friends during COVID-19 mitigation.
03/17/2020
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture today announced that the 47th Annual Pennsylvania Performance Tested Bull Sale scheduled for Friday, March 27, 2020 at the Livestock Evaluation Center will be held online only through Cowbuyer.com in effort to minimize risks of spreading COVID-19. The Pennsylvania Cattleman’s Association Trade Show and PA Simmental Spring into Excellence Sale, also scheduled for March 27, have been cancelled. The PA Angus Finest Female Sale will be held online on a later date yet to be determined.