Category: Farming

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By: Danielle Smith

A proposed pumped-storage hydroelectric facility for Cuffs Run near the Susquehanna River in York County has been challenged by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

The foundation filed a motion to intervene in the proceedings with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is considering granting a preliminary permit to build a 1.8-mile-long dam for the project.

Harry Campbell, science policy and advocacy director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, said they are working to stop the project in order to protect the unique Cuffs Run area and its ecological benefits for future generations.

“If approved, this project would destroy it about 580 acres of prime farmland, fields and forests, some of which have not been disturbed in about 100 years,” Campbell pointed out. “Those farms, fields and forests exist harmoniously with and in support of a plethora of plant and animal life.”

The foundation is circulating an online petition and encouraged Pennsylvanians to provide comments before Sunday.

The stream is home to naturally reproducing brook trout. Advocates worry the $2.5 billion project would also be harmful to the Susquehanna River. Campbell noted about 40 families would be displaced.

“For those who call Cuffs Run home, it’s more than just a place to live. It’s their heritage and they want it to be part of their legacy,” Campbell asserted. “This project just simply is the wrong idea in the wrong place. In order to honor that heritage and that legacy, we need to preserve this area.”

Campbell emphasized the Cuffs Run project is about 993 acres of land draining into a 2.5-mile unnamed tributary. He added in terms of stream habitat, the rocks, pebbles and woody material have been identified as among the best in the region for supporting critters living in the water.

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Read Time:3 Minute, 46 Second

​2024 Pennsylvania State Fair™ will connect the $132.5 billion PA Agriculture industry to lives positively impacted daily by its success.

Easton, PA – Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding visited the Eat Real Food Mobile Market at Paxinosa Elementary School in Easton today to announce the theme for the 108th Pennsylvania Farm Show: Connecting Our Communities. The 2024 PA Farm Show, Pennsylvania’s State Fair™, will run from Saturday, January 6 through Saturday, January 13 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg.

“The Pennsylvania Farm Show is a living story of Pennsylvania agriculture, connecting those who are fed, nourished, and enriched by our industry to those whose lives and livelihoods depend on it,” Secretary Redding said. “Agriculture unites us. It is the food, fuel, and fiber we rely on for our quality of life and our economy. Food helps define our cultures and our identities.

“Eat Real Food Mobile Market is a perfect illustration of how agriculture connects communities and nourishes their futures. It’s a fitting backdrop to highlight how the 2024 Pennsylvania Farm Show will showcase the pride and hard work of farmers from across the state, connecting people from all walks of life to a celebration of the importance of agriculture in our communities.”

The Kellyn Foundation’s Eat Real Food Mobile Market visits multiple sites on a regular weekly schedule and includes sampling, nutritional education, and recipes. Eat Real Food provides healthy, local food access at an affordable price, providing opportunities for families to connect with nutritious foods, and bringing communities together around agriculture to provide better outcomes for all.

This market grew out of a multi-industry partnership of the Kellyn Foundation, the Bethlehem Area School District, the Lehigh Valley Health Network, Penn State Extension, Rodale Institute, the Bethlehem Food Co-Op, Meals on Wheels and Second Harvest Food Bank. These organizations joined forces to support a stronger local food system, ensuring locally grown food production can flourish through the development and expansion of local food infrastructure. This effort includes farmers, manufacturers, processors, distributors, institutional buyers, neighborhoods and individual consumers, along with the support of governmental, non-profit and for-profit entities. Together, they are creating jobs, supporting the environment, championing the health of their community, and reducing food insecurity.

The 2023-24 budget Governor Shapiro signed into law includes critical agriculture investments, including:

  • $31 million to help poultry farmers impacted by the hi-path avian influenza crisis pay for testing and get reimbursed for losses to their flocks. The $34 million Agricultural Preparedness and Response line item includes $3 million to help control invasive spotted lanternflies and leverages $3 million in matching funds from the USDA.
  • $2 million to fund the Fresh Food Financing Initiative that will contribute to better health outcomes by improving access to PA-grown, processed, and produced foods.
  • $2 million increase to the State Food Purchase Program to provide state funds for emergency food assistance for low-income Pennsylvanians. The increase to the $26.28 million line item will connect surplus food donated by farmers through the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System  to food banks and food pantries statewide, and will connect low-income seniors to Senior Food Boxes filled with nutritious dietary staples.
  • $1 million to create a new Organic Center of Excellence, one of the first-of-its kind, to empower and support organic farmers and businesses.
The budget invests $13.8 million in a fifth year of the PA Farm Bill, making critical investments in building the workforce, processing infrastructure, and marketing opportunities the industry needs, and in removing barriers standing between the industry and those who want to be part of its future.
The 2024 Farm Show will feature fan-favorites like the 1,000-pound butter sculpture, famous Farm Show Food Court, youth showmanship, and sheep shearing competitions (among hundreds of other competitive agricultural events), cooking demonstrations at the PA Preferred® Culinary Connection, and more than one million square-feet of hands-on agriculture education opportunities and chances to engage with the people who power Pennsylvania’s $132.5 billion agriculture industry.
“Visiting the PA Farm Show is like taking a journey through the heart of agriculture, where you’ll connect with the roots of our food, the spirit of our farming communities, and the boundless possibilities for finding your own path in this industry. Whether it is your first visit or you come every year, the PA Farm Show is the best place to cultivate connections with agriculture,” Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center Executive Director Sharon Myers said.

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Read Time:3 Minute, 51 Second

​Supporting youth development is part of the Shapiro Administration’s investments in a strong future for PA Agriculture.

Harrisburg, PA – The Keystone International Livestock Exposition (KILE) returned to the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg Friday, Sept. 29 for its 66th year, bringing two weekends of livestock competitions and exhibitions featuring 1,000-plus competitors from 27 states, as well as agriculture career development, and free family fun. The East Coast’s largest livestock show includes a national 4-H, FFA, and collegiate team and individual judging competition, along with thousands North America’s best cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, alpacas, and horses in action in dozens of widely varied competitions.

Youth leadership skills, animal care and breeding, and farm management skills developed and honed during KILE are critical to the future of the agriculture industry. Supporting volunteer-run shows and agriculture education are central to the Shapiro Administration’s robust support for Pennsylvania’s $132.5 billion agriculture industry and the more than 593,000 jobs that depend on it.

“KILE features top-notch animals in competition, led by skilled exhibitors who have bred and raised them,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “But the heart and soul of this event are the youth who are learning the leadership and agriculture skills they will need to succeed in life and become the innovative, agile workforce our agriculture employers need to compete. Youth are the seeds of agriculture’s future, and every hour and dollar we invest in their development and growth feeds all of our futures.”

The bi-partisan budget Governor Shapiro signed for 2023-24 includes critical investments in agriculture’s next generation. Among them are $13.8 million in the historic PA Farm Bill, a set of strategic initiatives and funding to build the workforce Ag employers need, and remove barriers standing between the industry and those who want to be part of its future. Investments also include support for KILE and other youth competitions, Pennsylvania’s Commission for Agriculture Education Excellence, as well as the largest increase ever in basic K-12 education funding, expanded apprenticeships and career and technology training, and continued work to expand broadband internet access to allow students and employers in rural communities to compete.

The first weekend of KILE included ranch riding, featuring the horses’ skills at maneuvering through a series of patterns and challenges at working speed. Rounding out the first weekend, goat and hog shows featured a wide array of breeds, as well as youth showmanship, testing young people in their animal care and handling. ResultsOpens In A New Window and photosOpens In A New Window from the first weekend are at keystonelivestockexpo.com.Opens In A New Window

Competitions resume Thursday, October 5 and continue through Sunday the 8th, with contests running daily from 8:00 a.m. to approximately 9:00 p.m., except Sunday, when the final event begins at 1:00 p.m.

KILE’s second weekend will include everything from enormous draft horses and compact Halflinger ponies in pulling, hitch, and decorating contests; sheep and cattle shows featuring a stunning variety of breeds including fan-favorite Highland cows; 25 teams of high school and collegiate competitors in a national judging competition; Make it With Wool, an all-wool clothing design and construction competition; and even a “lead line” where sheep and their handlers sport matching costumes. The youngest spectators can get in the action in a pedal-tractor pulling contest.

The North American All Breeds 6-Horse Hitch Classic Series and the Haflinger Hitch Pony Champion Series classes will feature some of the country’s best draft horses and ponies competing for berths at the national finals. The event also features the Keystone Classic Barbecue Competition, a Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned event, bringing the region’s finest culinary competitors to qualify for their national competition.

Between competitions, visitors can meet the animals and their handlers throughout the complex to learn about the different breeds and what goes into their care and management. Visitors can also enjoy a barbecue sandwich from the Pennsylvania Livestock Association to lend their support to Pennsylvania youth scholarships, as well as a Farm Show milkshake to support the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association.

All events are open to the public with free admission and parking. Find a complete schedule of eventsOpens In A New Window, and resultsOpens In A New Window and photosOpens In A New Window throughout the show at keystonelivestockexpo.comOpens In A New Window.

Learn more about PA youth agriculture opportunities at agriculture.pa.gov/kidsarethefuture.

And learn more about investments in the vitality and growth of Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry at agriculture.pa.gov and at  shapirobudget.pa.gov.

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Farms Protected in Berks, Butler, Chester, Crawford, Dauphin, Erie, Franklin, Lancaster, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Westmoreland, York counties

Harrisburg, PA – The Shapiro Administration announced today that Pennsylvania preserved 1,336 acres on 18 farms in 13 counties, forever protecting them from residential or commercial development. The investment of more than $3.1 million in state dollars and $433,433 in county dollars to purchase land development rights preserves prime farmland, helping ensure that Pennsylvania farms can continue feeding our families and economy in the future.

Preserving prime farmland is one of the critical investments the commonsense, bipartisan budget Governor Josh Shapiro signed for 2023-24 makes in supporting Pennsylvania farmers. The nearly 6.4% overall increase in the Agriculture Department’s budget is working to amplify farmers’ efforts to conserve land, soil, and water resources by investing in equipment purchases, business planning, and farm management tools they need to innovate and continue to grow.

 

“Prime farmland and fertile soil are critical not just for feeding our families, but for feeding our economy,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Pennsylvania farm families who preserve their farms partner with government to ensure that all Pennsylvania families will have green spaces and healthy farmland available to produce food, income, and jobs.”

 

Pennsylvania leads the nation in preserved farmland. Since 1988, when voters overwhelmingly supported the creation of the Farmland Preservation Program, Pennsylvania has protected 6,284 farms and 630,302 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing more than $1.68 billion in state, county, and local funds.

Pennsylvania partners with county, and sometimes local government and nonprofits to purchase development rights, ensuring a strong future for farming and food security. By selling their land’s development rights, farm owners ensure that their farms will remain farms and never be sold to developers.

The newly preserved farms are in Berks, Butler, Chester, Crawford, Dauphin, Erie, Franklin, Lancaster, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Westmoreland, and York counties.

Farms preserved today and dollars invested, by county: 

Berks County – Total investment – $188,545, $76,836 – state, $111,709 – county

The Jeffrey C. Bickel Farm, Windsor Township, 66-acre crop farm

Butler County– Total investment – $188,374, $88,377 – state, $99,997– county

The John M. Allen, Jr. Farm #2, Clinton Township, 54-acre crop farm

The John M. Allen, Jr. Farm #3, Clinton Township, 56-acre crop farm

The Stephen M. Misera Farm #2, Franklin Township, a 39-acre crop and livestock farm

Chester County – Total investment – $779,218, $663,590 – state, $115,628 – county

The Matthew G. and Carmela D. Hershey Farm, West Fallowfield Township, 51-acre crop and livestock farm

The Jeffrey D. and Tamela J. Smoker Farm, West Fallowfield Township, 101-acre crop and livestock farm

Crawford County – Total investment – $241,950, $226,950 – state, $15,000 – county

The Logan C. Mirage and Shianne M. Brantner Farm, Fairfield Township, a 225-acre crop and livestock farm

Dauphin County – Total investment – $185,880, state only

The Mark E. and Joanne L. Enders Farm, Jackson Township, a 104-acre crop farm

 

Erie County – Total investment – $143,547, state only

The Mark D. Troyer Farm #2, Wayne Township, an 84-acre crop farm

Franklin County – Total investment – $522,335, state only

The Brian and Michelle Brechbill Farm #1, Guilford Township, an 88-acre crop farm

The Fred and Doreen Rice Farm, Guilford Township, a 114-acre crop farm

Lancaster County – Total investment – $372,657, state only

The Kirby F. and Joanna E. Nissley Farm, Rapho Township, a 91-acre crop farm

Lehigh County – Total investment – $167,298, $76,198 – state, $91,100 – county

The David A. and Barbara J. Rauch Farm, Lynn Township, a 14-acre crop farm

The Daniel L. and Victoria E. Watt Farm, Lynn Township, a 12-acre crop and livestock farm

Luzerne County – Total investment – $211,887, state only

LDF Holdings Farm, Black Creek Township, a 64-acre crop farm

Lycoming County – Total investment – $42,501 state only

The Eugene K. and Bonnie L. Riddell Farm, Jordan Township, a 30-acre crop farm

Westmoreland County – Total investment – $315,914, state only

The Carolyn, Mark Edward, and Shila Matson Farm #1, Fairfield Township, an 83-acre crop farm

York County – Total investment – $177, 366, state only

Jackson Family Farms LP #2, Chanceford Township, a 59-acre crop farm

These investments will multiply public dollars invested in conservation initiatives, including the new $154 million Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program, supporting farmers’ efforts to reduce water pollution and improve soil quality, along with Clean & Green tax incentives, Resource Enhancement and Protection dollars, and other conservation funding. Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program also secured a $7.85 million federal grant from USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program to support climate-smart conservation on preserved Pennsylvania farms, an investment that will not only improve conservation efforts, but help measure their impact.

To learn more about Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program and investments in a secure, sustainable future for Pennsylvania agriculture, visit agriculture.pa.gov.

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