Breaking News

Agriculture

Pennsylvania invests more than $9.1 million in forever farms

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania is investing more than $9.1 million to purchase development rights for 2,565 acres on 34 farms in 16 counties. The investment will protect prime farmland from future residential or commercial development and help ensure that farm families have the fertile land they need to produce food, fiber, and fuel to feed our economy in the future. “Pennsylvania leads the nation in farmland preservation because farm families, communities, and the Commonwealth are working together to protect the land that feeds us,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. ...

USDA announces Harvest to Hallways initiative

WASHINGTON — United States Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced sweeping new efforts to strengthen school meals by connecting more American farmers with local schools, investing in school kitchen infrastructure, and giving states and school districts new tools to serve healthier, more nutrient-dense meals to America’s children. Kennedy joined Rollins at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, alongside farmers, students, school nutrition leaders, athletes, chefs, and parents, to announce the next phase of the ...

New steps to put farmers first

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has announced several steps that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking to support America’s farmers in response to ongoing challenges across the agricultural sector. These actions include a series of data modernization, payment flexibility, and enhanced crop insurance options to benefit farmers. “When I travel across farm country, I hear the same message over and over: producers want a USDA that works for them. The Trump USDA is focused on making changes that improve the livelihood of our great farmers. I am ...

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 from Governor Josh Shapiro’s bipartisan 2024-25 budget, 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 ...

Rollins announces creation of USDA Office of Seafood

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins alongside Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan, and Maine Senator Susan Collins recently announced the creation of the new U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Seafood. This first of its kind office will prioritize customer service and ease of navigation for American seafood cultivators, producers, and processors to access USDA programs. “President Trump is the first President to recognize ...

AgSci Launchpad broadens perspectives and pathways in ag sciences

AgSci Launchpad broadens perspectives and pathways in ag sciences UNIVERSITY PARK — A new program in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is enriching the summer research experience of undergraduate students through shared learning experiences aimed at preparing them for ...