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Agriculture

Shapiro Administration celebrates opening of Keystone Animal Diagnostic Center

MONACA, Pa. — Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Penn State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences Dean Dr. Troy Ott marked a milestone for Pennsylvania farmers earlier this year, cutting the ribbon to open the Keystone Animal Diagnostic Center at Penn State University’s Beaver Campus. Funded by a $6 million investment, the lab expands Pennsylvania’s capacity to respond to animal disease outbreaks, speeding diagnoses for farmers in the western part of the state, lowering their business costs, and helping protect their animals and investments. “This is a ...

USDA invests in America’s beef and ag producers with funding for value-added agriculture

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has announced the awarding of over $26 million to farmers and agricultural producers across the country through the USDA Value Added Producer Grant Program. Entities can use these grant funds to develop value-added agricultural products, conduct market research, and implement business and marketing strategies. “The Trump Administration is focused on putting our ranchers and farmers first. These grants represent another investment in the Great American Cattle Herd as we fortify the American beef industry,” Rollins said. ...

Yoder named AADF Nesbitt Scholarship recipient

HARRISBURG — The All-American Dairy Foundation has announced Natalie Yoder, of Belleville, as the recipient of the 2026 Arthur W. Nesbitt Scholarship. Yoder, 21, is the daughter of Michael and Maria Yoder, owners of Dryhouse Farm. She is a senior at Penn State University, where she is ...

Family farms in several counties earn historic designations

PENNSYLVANIA FURNACE — Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding recently honored twelve Centennial Farms for having been in the same family for 100 years. He also named a Centre County farm a Bicentennial farm, honoring the Stine family, who have passed down their farm within the family since 1813. “Today, we celebrate 13 farm families who have made tremendous contributions to feeding Pennsylvanians and preserving our agricultural heritage,” Redding said. “These farms and families have varied histories, yet all share a deep commitment to future generations, as well as ...

Rollins unveils plan to modernize agricultural data collection

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins recently announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture Data Modernization Plan to put Farmers First, reduce unnecessary burdens on producers, and improve the timeliness, accuracy, and usefulness of the agricultural data that informs decisions across American agriculture. Since USDA was established in 1862, collecting and sharing reliable agricultural information has been central to its mission. Today, USDA data informs crop and livestock estimates, risk-management tools, disaster assistance, and critical business decisions ...

Trump signs Executive Orders supporting America’s ranchers

WASHINGTON — Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed two Executive Orders supporting America’s ranchers and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins made additional announcements protecting the nation’s cattle herd and providing transparency for consumers. In addition to the two Executive Orders, USDA also announced four additional actions it is taking to follow-up on the USDA Plan to Fortify the American Beef Industry (2025 USDA Beef Plan) released last year, and the Ranchers First Initiative released earlier this week. USDA also launched a new webpage, ...