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Agriculture

Greenhouse and hydroponic production are topic of webinar

UNIVERSITY PARK — For those interested in learning about greenhouse fundamentals and hydroponic vegetable production, Penn State Extension is offering a webinar, "Living on a Few Acres: Greenhouse and Hydroponic Production," from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 8. This session is designed for new and beginning producers and for those looking to become more self-sufficient in using greenhouses or hydroponics in vegetable production. This event is perfect for anyone who is interested in learning the basics of greenhouse management and hydroponic production, organizers said. Participants can ...

Tips to help make the Honor Roll in food safety and allergen awareness

WASHINGTON — Parents and caregivers will soon begin the familiar routine of preparing and packing school lunches for their children. Parents and caregivers play a crucial role in safeguarding their children’s health by ensuring these lunches are safe from foodborne illness and allergens for those with food allergies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service encourages you to follow these food safety tips and be allergen aware for a wholesome, worry-free return to the classroom. “Children are particularly vulnerable to foodborne illness as ...

‘Outdoors For All Day’ at Point State Park

​PITTSBURGH — Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis visited Point State Park in Pittsburgh on July 20 to highlight opportunities for all Pennsylvanians to get outdoors and experience the Commonwealth. Davis presented a proclamation from Governor Josh Shapiro​ to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announcing July 20 as Outdoors for All Day, highlighting the Commonwealth’s wealth of public outdoor spaces that make Pennsylvania a place for a Great American Getaway for all Pennsylvanians. The agency supports hundreds of outdoor-related projects annually, having ...

Opportunity to grow Pa. meat-processing businesses

​HARRISBURG — Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding recently announced the opening of the 2024-2025 Very Small Meat and Poultry Processor Reimbursement Grant Program. The grant program supports the development and expansion of current or future meat and poultry processing operations across Pennsylvania, offering reimbursement funds to cover costs associated with opening or expanding operations, or obtaining a grant of inspection from the USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service. “Pennsylvanians are seeking out local farms more than ever, and this grant directly addresses that desire ...

USDA invests $14.3M in Farm to School Grants

WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that USDA is awarding a record-breaking $14.3 million in Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grants to 154 projects in 43 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. These investments will help 1.9 million children eat more tasty, nutritious foods in school, while supporting farmers and producers in their local and regional communities. “Farm to School is a huge win for children, schools, farmers, producers and communities,” said Secretary Vilsack. “When schools have access to fresh, local food options with ...

Monthly NASS agriculture report

Editor’s Note: This is a monthly column from the Northeastern Regional Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS-NERFO). The website is www.nass.usda.gov; for the reports mentioned below, click on the “Publications” tab. Keeping data safe We are very serious about our responsibility for the security and confidentiality of our data and have not had a data breach since before the Crop Reporting Board was established in 1905. With rapidly changing technologies, we conduct ongoing reviews of our processes to improve the security of our data. We are ...