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Agriculture

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 fishermen ...

Juniata County Dairy Promotion pointers

Hi, I’m Jayde Sweger, a Juniata County Dairy Miss. The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 was enacted on Jan. 14, 2026. The law allows whole and reduced-fat milk in federally-funded school lunches and exempts milk from federal saturated fat limits. Whole milk is excellent for ...

Fitzgerald earns appointment to PA FFA State Officer Nominating Committee

LEWISTOWN — Most FFA members spend their high school years learning the fundamentals of leadership, service and agricultural education. Very few, however, are ever asked to help choose the next leaders of the entire Pennsylvania FFA Association. This spring, Big Valley FFA member Abbie Fitzgerald joined that select group. Fitzgerald, a junior in The Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology’s Agricultural Sciences program, has been appointed to the Pennsylvania FFA State Officer Nominating Committee, one of the most prestigious and influential student leadership roles in the ...

Juniata County Dairy Promotion pointers

Whole milk nutritional facts Since 2012, only 1% and fat free (skim) milk have been offered in school lunches serviced by the National School Lunch Program. These guidelines were set in an effort to reduce the amount of saturated fat consumed by children. However, it may have been a ...

Mifflin County Agricultural Land Preservation program applications accepted until May 29

BURNHAM — Mifflin County’s Agricultural Land Preservation Board has announced that applications will be accepted until the close of business on May 29, 2026 for the Mifflin County Agland Preservation Program. Generally known as the “Conservation Easement Program,” Mifflin County’s Agricultural Land Preservation Program is now preparing to enter its 33rd year of operation. The purpose of the program is to permanently preserve our most valuable and productive agricultural land through the purchase or donation of conservation easements, often called “development rights.” This ...