Ag Secretary Encourages Aspiring Farmers to Take Advantage of PA Farm Bill Investments Feeding the Next Generation of Farm Prosperity

​Harrisburg, PA – Agriculture Secretary Ruspromote Redding hosted a panel dialogue right now highlighting Pennsylvania’s plentiful assets for farmers Making an try to move the torch to A mannequin new period and for youthful people looking for to enter The sector. Held all by way of Penn State College’s annual Ag Progress Days, the panel featured companions in companies, non-income, and the legislature Collectively with farmers Who’ve taken benefit of PA Farm Invoice-funded assist To understand agriculture.

“Pennsylvania leads the nation in defending farmland and leads the nation in youthful people Taking over farming,” said Redding. “However with out growing our numbers of youthful farmers A lot extra, We will not feed a rising inhabitants on that land. We nonetheless have work to do, but There’s assist out there.”

“Final week, Governor Wolf joined us to rejoice the almost $72 million Pennsylvania has invested Inside the biggest method forward for agriculture by way of the PA Farm Invoice,” Redding proceedd. “Main youthful people to funding and joining them with the expertise and assets to succeed Continues to be our prime precedence.”

Pennsylvania leads the nation with 14 % of the state’s farmers beneath 35, and with Lancaster County alone in 2020 having 2,400 youthful farmers, In all probability the most in any US county.  Numbers have grown significantly since 2012, but farmers over 65 outnumber these beneath 35 by six To at least one.

Supporting new and aspiring farmers And completely different people looking for to move their opperiodtions to new house owners was Definitely one of many primary goals of the PA Farm Invoice. The farm bill established the Agricultural Enterprise Enchancment Center To join farmers with assets, expertise and financing; Starting Farmer Realty Change Tax Exemptions as added tax incentive for house owners of preserved farms to lease or promote their belongings to beginning farmers; and Subsequent Genperiodtion Farm Mortgages To Scale again prices for youthful farmers growing or establishing new opperiodtions.

So far, the state has financed 20 loans totaling $11,104,000 in tax-exempt, low-curiosity loans to Lancaster and Chester County farms by way of The subsequent Genperiodtion Farmer Mortgage Program. This method provides beginning farmers entry to pretty priced capital To buy farmland or agricultural gear, reducing Costs of curiosity and boosting farm income by way of A singular state-fedperiodl-private Industry companionship.

“Pennsylvania’s financial system Is strong and rising,” said Gov. Wolf when the program’s first loans have been financed in March 2022. “Seven yrs of sound fiscal administration and prudent investments in constructing our agriculture infrastructure and performance assist our farmers proceed feeding our financial system and our households. We have seen farm income and manufacturing rise over the previous yr and are dedicated to feeding that momentum by elevating A mannequin new period of farmers and assisting The enlargement of the Pennsylvania farms we’re so Joyful with.”

Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Chairman Elder Vogel joined the panel To debate the PA Farm Invoice’s Starting Farmer packages and the Ag Education Excellence Fee which works To Make constructive that Pennsylvania schools curricula lay the groundwork for a workforce That is agile enough to innovate and undertake quickly altering farm know-how. Senator Vogel has championed each packages in The genperiodl Meeting.

The division has licensed 41 beginning farmers, and in flip, preserved farm house owners and beginning farmers have acquired $425,338 in Starting Farmer Realty Change Tax Exemptions for the sale of farm property to youthful people choosing up the torch to farm Finally.

Furtherextra, twelve farm house owners have acquired Starting Farmer Tax Credit scores of $199,561 for leasing or promoteing their property to beginning farmers.

The PA Farm Invoice additionally established Farm Vitality Planning Grants, which have been awarded to 255 Pennsylvania farm companies to plan conservation meaconstructives Which will primarytain their companies Finally. Through companionships with Horizon Farm Credit rating, the Pennsylvania Small Enterprise Enchancment Center, and Pennsylvania Farm Hyperlink, the Agricultural Enterprise Enchancment Center has related beginning farmers with mentorships, expertise, farmers Who’ve land or gear out there, And educational occasions To discover strategies To understand their new ventures.

Dean Rick Roush from PSU School of Agricultural Sciences and Lynn Kime and Jay Harper of the PSU Extension Starting Farmer and Rancher Program joined the panel To debate essential expertise and assist out there by way of the state-assisted land grant institution.

Erik Sink, a graduate of Pasa Sustainable Agriculture’s Diversified Vegetable Apprenticeship Program shared his expertises In a single of seven state-licensed earn-whereas-you-study ag apprenticeships.

The panel was rounded out by Mark Rohrbach of Rohrbach Farms, who talked about steps he has taken To primarytain his preserved household farm in Catawissa, Columbia County in Industry, and Katie Hetherington Cunfer of By no means Carried out Farm in Douglassville, Berks County, who shared her expertises and expertise with county and state financial development assets.

Connect with the Ag Enterprise Enchancment Center, study extra Regarding the PA Farm Invoice and discover grant recipients Who’ve taken benefit of its investments in rising and primarytaining a shiny future for Pennsylvania’s agriculture Industry at agriculture.pa.gov.

MEDIA CONTACT: Shannon Powers – 717.603.2056; [email protected]

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