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Agriculture

New potato-threatening pathogens reported for first time in PA

UNIVERSITY PARK — As the home of beloved snack companies like Martin’s Potato Chips, Utz and Snyder’s of Hanover, Pennsylvania values its potatoes. Tasty tubers across the state may face the threat of newly identified pathogen strains, though, according to Penn State researchers who are aiming to develop management strategies. They published their findings in the journal Systematic and Applied Microbiology. The researchers collected potato stems or tubers that exhibited symptoms of black leg or soft rot — including wilting, stunting, black lesions and rotting tubers, among ...

Learn methods to make your farm profitable through free webinar

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Farm Link, in collaboration with Northeastern Risk Management Education, is offering a free webinar, “Three Steps To Your Profitable Farm,” on Feb. 27, 2024 at 12 p.m. Learn how to make your farm business a success through Charlotte Smith’s expert marketing insight. Smith started her farm in 2009. She was able to stand out among neighboring farmers through her farm business and marketing tactics. Through her on-farm success, she began teaching farmers how to market their products and build profitable farms in 2012. She now teaches farmers from 15 ...

USDA invests approximately $11.5M in compost, food waste projects in 23 states

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing approximately $11.5 million in 38 cooperative agreements that support innovative, scalable waste management plans to reduce and divert food waste from landfills. The Composting and Food Waste Reduction cooperative agreements, which are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, are part of USDA’s broad support for urban agriculture. The program is jointly administered by USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The recommended ...

USDA partners with PA to award more than $26M for food supply chain infrastructure

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has entered a cooperative agreement with Pennsylvania under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI). Through this agreement, USDA and Pennsylvania are working together to offer more than $26 million in competitive grant funding for projects to build resilience across the middle of the supply chain. Pennsylvania is accepting applications for this Infrastructure Grant funding through March 30, 2024. The ...

Dairy of Distinction award applications due by April 15

UNIVERSITY PARK — Pennsylvania dairy producers are invited to apply for the Dairy of Distinction award from the Pennsylvania Dairy of Distinction Program. Applications must be submitted by April 15. This program was initiated in 1987 in Pennsylvania by Penn State retired dairy extension specialist, Steve Spencer. According to Mike O’Connor, retired Penn State extension specialist and current advisor to the program, the award is based on Spencer’s concept that attractive farmsteads promote a positive dairy image and will help to enhance consumer confidence in the wholesomeness ...

Mifflin County Conservation District announces grant application period

BURNHAM — Farm operations can now apply for funding through the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) to install best management practices such as waste storage facilities/mortality composters, forest and grass buffers, stream and wetland restoration, and heavy use area protection to name a few. Funding for the ACAP Program was created through the American Rescue Plan Act and the Clean Streams Fund and was established with the goal of reducing nonpoint source pollution to surface and groundwater supplies. The program is administered by the State Conservation Commission ...