PHILADELPHIA — Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Labor and Industry Secretary Nancy A. Walker continued the Shapiro Administration’s 2025 Urban Agriculture Tour in Philadelphia in July. The tour stopped at Sankofa Farm at Bartram’s Garden, where investments under Governor Josh Shapiro’s leadership are feeding the future of Philadelphia neighborhoods through career training for young adults.

“Young people across Pennsylvania are receiving priceless life skills, confidence, and in some cases, starting their careers debt-free, with stellar credentials and top-notch experience through the seeds planted when we invest together in urban agriculture,” Secretary Redding said. “Those seeds — planted by Shapiro Administration investments and cultivated by strong community partnerships with visionary leaders like those at Sankofa Farm — will yield a harvest of transformed communities for years to come.”

Redding and other Shapiro Administration leaders are crossing the state, meeting dynamic Pennsylvanians who are working to increase fresh food access in areas where it is scarce; break down racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic barriers; and overcome historical inequities to grow opportunities for their communities to thrive.

In April 2025, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry awarded John Bartram Association $399,533 to create and pilot an 18-month registered apprenticeship at Sankofa Farm to equip young adults for agriculture careers. The grant was part of a $6.6 million investment to expand career opportunities in agriculture, health care, and information technology.

“Agriculture plays an integral role in Pennsylvania’s economy, and through this strategic investment in Sankofa Community Farm, the Shapiro Administration is taking meaningful action to build a more inclusive and innovative agricultural workforce,” said Secretary Walker. “This new apprenticeship builds on the farm’s nationally recognized, accredited youth workforce model rooted in African Diaspora cultural traditions and food justice. I look forward to seeing all Sankofa will continue to accomplish in the ever-growing world of urban agriculture.”

This February, Governor Shapiro announced the nation’s first Agricultural Innovation grants, a $10 million investment in 88 ag businesses in 46 Pennsylvania counties to fund state-of-the-art agricultural technologies that agriculture businesses and their workers need to compete and succeed.

In March 2025, the Shapiro Administration announced a $500,000 investment in Pennsylvania Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grants in 10 counties to help address longstanding challenges in city neighborhoods. Pennsylvania has invested more than $3.2 million in urban agriculture through the program, one of many Pennsylvania Farm Bill grants and initiatives, since 2019. In total, 160 Urban Ag projects in 19 counties are expanding fresh food access in locations often served by a single convenience store.

Funded projects include greenhouses, off-grid energy and water systems, cold storage, and tools to expand the reach of organizations that feed economic, community, and personal growth through agriculture.

Three of Pennsylvania’s 13 registered agriculture apprenticeship programs, and two of four registered pre-apprenticeship programs in agriculture were approved under the Shapiro Administration.