LEWISTOWN — When Abbie Fitzgerald stepped in front of the Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology’s operating committee meeting on Thursday, May 8, the Big Valley FFA member didn’t expect to be graded. After all, the final school bell had rung hours earlier. Nonetheless, ...
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced several Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enrollment opportunities for agricultural producers and landowners. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting offers for both the General and Continuous CRP through June 6, 2025. CRP, USDA’s flagship conservation program, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. For four decades, CRP has provided financial and technical support to agricultural producers and landowners who place unproductive or marginal cropland under contract for 10-15 years and who agree ...
MIDDLEBURG — Pennsylvania Department of Environment Protection (DEP) regulations require any operation or entity that raises or boards animals, produces or receives animal manure, regardless of animal type (equine, poultry, livestock, exotic animals, etc.) or animal number have a manure management plan (MMP). Recently, DEP has developed a simpler MMP version for very small operations. The Snyder County Conservation District (SCCD) will hold a free workshop for small operations to learn about how to complete the simpler MMP version. The one-hour workshop is set for Thursday, June ...
HARRISBURG — The Shapiro Administration welcomed more than 1,300 K-8 students and educators from across southcentral Pennsylvania to the PA Farm Show Complex on May 7 for hands-on agriculture career exploration during 2025 Farm City Day. Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding toured career exhibits with Acting Education Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe and students learning firsthand about careers ranging from dairy farming and beekeeping to sustainable forestry, and technology making our planet and food healthier. “Agriculture today is not what it was at the beginning of this century, or ...
MEXICO — Kera Bentz, of Richfield, was crowned the 2025-26 Juniata County Dairy Princess on Sunday, May 4, at the Walker Grange, Mexico, Pa. She was crowned by the Pennsylvania Alternate Dairy Princess, Sadie Innerest. Innerest also had some encouraging and motivational comments for the dairy court. Bentz is the 19-year-old daughter of Karen Bentz of Richfield. She has been involved with the Juniata County Dairy Promotion team for six years as she started in 2019 as a dairy maid. Kera is currently attending De’rielle cosmetology school in Millerstown where she will graduate as a ...
WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Agriculture Special Investigations Unit, in conjunction with Federal law enforcement partners, conducted operations in early May to target criminals engaged in defrauding American taxpayers by stealing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. “Fraud will not be tolerated by the Trump Administration. I want to thank our hardworking law enforcement officers who work every day to ensure federal benefits are properly distributed and safeguard taxpayer dollars from criminals,” said Secretary Rollins. “President Trump is restoring law ...
