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Agriculture

USDA, HHS, EPA join forces to bolster consumer protections

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin recently announced an updated Memorandum of Understanding to reaffirm their shared commitment to protecting consumers from heavy metals and other contaminants in food. For decades, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have coordinated through the National Residue Program to monitor and regulate ...

Animal science major says Penn State Dairy Barns made her feel at home

UNIVERSITY PARK — Three years of working in Penn State’s Dairy Barns have been impactful for Hannah Mansfield, a spring 2026 College of Agricultural Sciences graduate who is pursuing a master’s degree in animal science. The Greenville, North Carolina, native did not grow up on ...

Rollins unveils plan to modernize agricultural data collection

WASHINGTON — At the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins 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, ...

Juniata County Dairy Promotion pointers

Hi, my name is Gabriella (Brie) Zug and I am a Juniata County Lil’ Dairy Miss. My favorite flavor of ice cream is strawberry, but I also like vanilla with sprinkles. I have one cow, that is red and white. I like helping with the promotions that give out ice cream, and I liked riding on ...

Farm Bill grants to help farms pursue growth opportunities

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Agricultural Business Development Center is accepting applications for up to $15,000 in Farm Vitality Planning Grants. The 2026-27 budget includes $500,000 for the PA Farm Bill grant program which supports strategic business planning to expand, diversify, or transition farms to new owners. The Shapiro Administration secured an eighth year of funding for PA Farm Bill initiatives at $13.8 million in a 2026-27 budget that grows Pennsylvania agriculture through smart investments in economic development, job creation, and innovation. “Pennsylvania farmers ...

Chobani to establish its first dairy operation in Pennsylvania

SCHNECKSVILLE, Pa. — Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger and Department of Revenue Secretary Pat Browne recently announced the Commonwealth has secured a historic $1.2 billion investment from Chobani to establish its first dairy product manufacturing operation in Pennsylvania. This project, the largest ever private investment in Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry, will create 900 full-time jobs over the next five years in the Lehigh Valley and greatly expand ...