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Agriculture

USDA to collect 2023 oilseed data

HARRISBURG — As the 2023 growing season officially comes to an end, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will contact producers nationwide to gather oilseed data. The information will help determine the official USDA estimates of 2023 acreage, harvested yield, and price for oilseed crops in the United States. Data from the survey will benefit farmers and processors by providing timely and accurate information to help them make critical year-end business decisions and begin planning for the next growing and marketing season. NASS will ...

USDA expands access to school breakfast and lunch

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is giving an estimated 3,000 more school districts in high-need areas the option to serve breakfast and lunch to all students at no cost, by expanding the availability of the Community Eligibility Provision, commonly known as CEP. CEP is a simplified meal service option that allows schools to provide meals at no cost to all students without requiring families to apply for free and reduced-price meals. Instead, school districts receive federal funding based on a formula using existing data from SNAP and other programs, and local or ...

Predicting nationwide crop water availability by understanding soil influences

UNIVERSITY PARK — A team of researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to generate knowledge and tools such as national-level predictive models to develop a better understanding of how changes in soil texture and structure influence the availability of water for crops. The three-year award, coming from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, will fund an effort to develop expertise to assist with soil management and irrigation decisions, according to team leader Meetpal Kukal, ...

Sulpizio named Pennsylvania Watershed Champion

UNIVERSITY PARK — Jodi Sulpizio grew up in rural Juniata County, roaming the fields, forests and streams with her sister and cousins. “The natural world was our playground, and that is where I began to love and appreciate our natural resources,” she said. Today, Sulpizio has translated that childhood enthusiasm into a career as a Penn State Extension natural resources educator and Master Watershed Steward coordinator for York County. Recently, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay named Sulpizio as the 2023 Pennsylvania Watershed Champion. “I am grateful and surprised to be ...

Pennsylvania invests $3.5 million to ensure 18 farms will be farms forever

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania has preserved 1,336 acres on 18 farms in 13 counties, forever protecting them from residential or commercial development. The investment of more than $3.1 million in state dollars and $433,433 in county dollars to purchase land development rights preserves prime farmland, helping ensure that Pennsylvania farms can continue feeding our families and economy in the future. Preserving prime farmland is one of the critical investments the state budget makes in supporting Pennsylvania farmers. The nearly 6.4% overall increase in the Agriculture Department’s ...

HARRISBURG — PA Farm Link is now offering a new ag educational tool called the PA Farm Link Academy. Learning modules found within the Academy are geared towards high schoolers, beginning farmers, experienced farmers, and ag professionals. The Academy currently offers learning modules on the following topics: •4 P’s of Finance •Understanding Ag Leasing •PA Farm Link Overview (English & Spanish Options Available) •Starting a Food Business •New Farmer Programs through USDA •Grants & the PA Preferred Program •Business Planning Each learning module ...