Keystone Today

Governor Tom Wolf and Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding met with recipients of the Pennsylvania Farm Bill grant program on Aug. 4, where Wolf highlighted the support of the agriculture industry, which generates $132.5 billion for the state, according to a press release from the governor's office.

“Agriculture is the backbone of Pennsylvania’s economy. When farmers succeed, we all succeed,” Wolf said. “I created the Pennsylvania Farm Bill to support the future success of agriculture in the commonwealth, remove barriers for first-generation agriculturalists, grow infrastructure for improved food security, support the sustainability of our farms, and invest in opportunities for the next generation of agricultural leaders.”

The governor signed the PA Farm Bill in 2019. It is the nation's first of its kind and is designed to help the state’s agriculture industry. Wolf has made it a priority to support agriculture, which makes up a  large part of the commonwealth’s economy. In 2018, he also released the first-ever economic impact report for the state’s agriculture industry, and in that report, there was a six-point plan that led to the PA Farm Bill. In 2021, the most recent economic impact report was released, and it showed the $132.5 billion impact that supports 590,000 jobs and pays about $33 billion in wages each year.

“I’m proud of how the PA Farm Bill has touched the lives of so many Pennsylvanians and supported a new, necessary diversity in agriculture. May it continue to grow and prosper, because of these seeds we’ve planted today,” Wolf said.

Redding added, “Together, Gov. Wolf and the General Assembly recognized the value of investing strategically in the long-term prosperity of Pennsylvania agriculture. This legislation has since supported more than $76 million in investments to grow the commonwealth’s agriculture, food, and fiber industries."

The PA Farm Bill has invested about $76 million in hundreds of programs and farmers statewide. 

“Over the last four years, I’ve had the opportunity to travel the commonwealth and meet the faces of those impacted by the PA Farm Bill,” Redding said. “It is both urban and rural; it is multigenerational farm families and youth learning how to grow fresh foods and give back to their communities; it’s first-generation farmers and urban agriculturalists addressing food access and equity, and so much more. The PA Farm Bill embodies the spirit of Pennsylvania agriculture, and its legacy and impact will benefit the industry for generations to come.”

The meeting took place at the 150-year-old Hess Farm located at State College. It is owned by Jeff and Cindy Harding, and they are looking to pass their beef farm to their five children with help from a $7,500 PA Farm Bill Vitality Grant.

There are six categories for the PA Farm Bill: resources for agricultural business development and succession planning; building a strong agriculture workforce; removing regulatory burdens and strengthening on-farm sustainability; increasing processing capabilities; creating new market opportunities and investing in organic agriculture; preparing Pennsylvania agriculture for quick response to disasters.

“The PA Farm Bill is a win for Pennsylvania agriculture,” Pennsylvania FFA National Officer candidate Jessica Herr said. “It provides a seat at the table for both the generational farmer with a deep heritage in the industry and the beginner farmer who has a passion for sustainable agriculture. Both perspectives are wildly valuable – and that is something worth celebrating today.”