Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf | governor.pa.gov
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf | governor.pa.gov
More than $900 million will fund 19 projects that will assist farmers in Pennsylvania who are using “climate-smart practices.”
According to a recent announcement by Gov. Tom Wolf, there were 70 projects chosen from around the country for funding. About $2.8 billion has been invested through two initial rounds of funding from Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities.
“Agriculture bears the brunt of the impact of climate change, from extreme weather to an environment that is more inviting to invasive pests, plants and disease,” Wolf said. “My administration has provided unprecedented support for the industry that feeds and sustains us – as seen through the PA Farm Bill and Clean Streams Fund – and I am pleased that our efforts will be multiplied exponentially with federal support. Farmers cannot tackle climate change alone.”
The funds are in addition to the $220 million invested in the Pennsylvania state budget through the Clean Streams Fund. This includes $154 million for the new Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program, which is focused on reducing water pollution and improving the quality of farmers’ soil. In addition, $22 million is also put aside for the Nutrient Management Fund, which has a focus of reducing run-off.
The 19 projects provide technical and financial assistance for the implementation of “climate-smart practices.” They also develop cost-effective methods for monitoring, reporting and verifying the greenhouse gas benefits, as well as develop markets and promote benefits of items grown in a climate-smart way.
“These initial projects will expand markets for climate-smart commodities, leverage the greenhouse gas benefits of climate-smart commodity production and provide direct, meaningful benefits to production agriculture, including for small and underserved producers,” Wolf said in the announcement.
The projects are as follows:
- Wolfe’s Neck Farm Foundation Inc., $35 million
- Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools, $25 million
- Truterra LLC, $90 million
- Pennsylvania State University, $25 million
- PASA Sustainable Agriculture, $55 million
- Farm Journal Inc., $40 million
- American Forest Foundation, $35 million
- The Nature Conservancy, $60 million
- National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, $95 million
- The DeLong Co. Inc., $40 million
- Low Carbon Beef LLC, $10 million
- Rodale Institute, $25 million
- American Farmland Trust, $30 million
- Dairy Farmers of America Inc., $45 million
- National Association of Conservation Districts, $90 million
- Field to Market, $70 million
- American Sustainable Business Institute Inc., $35 million
- The Conservation Innovation Fund, $25 million
- Carbon A List LLC, $70 million
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