Discover AG Podcast Live at the Miller Center | Thursday, Sept. 26 @ 7 p.m. - Two modern millennial women trailblazing a new conversation around food! Discover Ag – Where Agriculture Meets Pop Culture. Discover is the go-to podcast for those who want to stay connected and up-to-date with the expanding world of Western Culture, Food, and Agriculture... | | | |
State officials tour Reading for closer look at urban farming efforts | Officials say the farms help break down barriers and create opportunities in neighborhoods. | | | |
USDA Secretary Vilsack and National Climate Advisor highlight Climate-Smart Agriculture in Reading | U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi visited Pennsylvania to highlight the Biden-Harris Administration's dedication to fostering an equitable agricultural future. This event, held during Pennsylvania's Urban Ag Week, spotlighted the Administration's efforts to promote climate-smart agriculture and conservation while creating opportunities for rural families, small businesses, and farmers. | | | |
First PA Farmworkers of the Year Award Winners Announced | BIGLERVILLE, Pa. -- Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Secretary of Labor & Industry Nancy A. Walker joined PA State Council of Farm Organizations President Kimberly... | | | |
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Joins Annual Farmer Field Day at Rodale Institute | U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently joined Rodale Institute’s Annual Organic Field Day, host to hundreds of farmers, researchers, and scientists. Secretary Vilsack joined PA Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding to discuss efforts to expand producers’ access to climate-smart agriculture, expand the market for organic products, and help producers transition to organic production. | | | |
Farm families' childcare challenges impacting farm businesses, research suggests | Childcare challenges might not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about farm business viability, yet according to a new study led by a Penn State researcher, childcare challenges can negatively impact farm businesses and the farm family. | | | |
Ask the Expert: A Q&A on Youth Loans with Tina Mellinger | In this Ask the Expert, Tina Mellinger answers questions about Farm Service Agency (FSA) Youth Loans. | | | |
Request a FARM Record-Keeping Book | The Center for Dairy Excellence has free copies of Animal Care Protocol Record-Keeping Books available for Pennsylvania dairy producers and veterinarians. The intent is to help Pennsylvania dairy farm families comply with National FARM requirements associated with record keeping. One book should cover three program years. | | | |
National FFA Announces Record-Breaking One Million Student Members | National FFA Organization, a nationally-recognized school-based student leadership development organization, announced today that it reached a record-breaking milestone of having more than one million FFA members: 1,027,273. States that have shown the largest membership percentage growth this past year are Utah, Florida and Alaska. | | | |
Office Support IV (Department of Agriculture) | Come work with us! Are you detail-oriented, quick with computers, and have experience in Oracle or other financial systems? Do you have a can-do outlook and want to contribute to the agricultural industry in Berks County? You may be a great fit for our team as our new Office Support IV position in the Berks County Department of Agriculture. An agricultural background is a plus but not required. Apply today! Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. | | | |
Save the Date! Agriculture and Natural Resources Career & Job Fair, Thursday, Nov. 14, at Leesport Farmer’s Market. Exhibitor registration is opening soon. Make sure your business is represented! | |
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You are invited to attend an Agriculture Update hosted by Sen. Judy Schwank, with Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Pennsylvania State Veterinarian Dr. Alex Hamberg.
Where: Penn State Berks Janssen Conference Center, Tulpehocken & Broadcasting Rds., Reading, PA 19610
When: Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP Spencer Thornburg at Spencer.Thornburg@pasenate.com or call the district office at (610) 929-2151.
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Volunteer at GoggleWorks' Gardens at Lauer's Park! 👨🌾✂️🌳 Grow an appreciation for local food systems, learn farm skills, and enjoy time with members of your community. We welcome all ages... | | | |
PA German Farm Festival - Saturday, Aug. 24 @ 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Join us at the Historic Dreibelbis Farm in Virginville, PA for our annual PA German Farm Festival on Saturday, August 24, 2024. The event is rain or shine! Admission is... | | | |
48th Annual Hay Creek Festival - Sept. 6 - 8 @ 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Step back in time 200 years and experience the rural history of the Hay Creek Valley & the Joanna Furnace Iron Works at the 48th Annual Hay Creek Festival. Held the weekend after Labor Day on September 6 – 8, 2024, families will enjoy this one-of-a-kind living history experience on the 26-acre Joanna Furnace ironmaking plantation. | | | |
28th Annual Chile Pepper Festival - Sept. 6 & 7 @ 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. | The 28th Annual Chile Pepper Festival in Bowers PA Dozens of Vendors Music by the Chile Pepper Ramblers Jalapeno Eating Contest Sept 7, 1 pm 1st Place $100.00 2nd $75.00... | | | |
We’ll see you at the Oley Fair, September 19-21! Don’t forget to stop by our table in the business building to say hi, ask questions, gather info, or collect fun give aways! If you’d like a roadside “Stay alert: farming in progress” sign, we’ll have them there! | |
Raising Your Prices Without Losing Customers | November 6 | Market owners and food shop vendors are invited to join us to learn tips to navigate the delicate balance of increasing your prices to maintain a healthy bottom line while retaining customer loyalty. Learn proven strategies and nuanced approaches to effectively implement price adjustments without compromising customer satisfaction. Gain invaluable insights on communicating value, adjusting pricing structures, and employing psychological tactics to ensure a successful transition in your retail food business. | | | |
Cultivating Business Conference | December 9, 8 AM to 5 PM | Are you a business owner seeking opportunities to level up your operation and create meaningful connections with other business owners? Join us for the first annual Cultivating Business Conference at the unique American Helicopter Museum in West Chester. Presenters will guide us through cultivating and growing small businesses with insights on marketing, financial planning, and succession planning. | | | |
"IMAGINE Your Business" Grant | |
The goal of the Berks LaunchBox “IMAGINE Your Business” grant is to provide entrepreneurs with early-stage business ideas and gross revenue of less than $200,000, up to $2,000 towards a need you have identified. These funds will allow you to move forward with your business ideas by building a prototype, creating a minimum viable product, completing customer discovery, marketing, setting up a website, and more. The funds are being provided by a grant from the County of Berks Imagine Berks Fund made to the Berks LaunchBox.
Submission deadline: August 30
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Apply for the Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant | This grant program reimburses individuals who are investing in buidling out the infrastructure of urban agriculture. It offers micro grants for one-time projects and colloboration grants for larger efforts. | | | |
Horizon Farm Credit Accepting Applications for 2024 Farmers on the Rise Award Program | MECHANICSBURG, Pa. -- Farm Credit is now accepting applications for its Farmers on the Rise program, which awards up to ten beginning farmers with $10,000... | | | |
Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program Awards | Designed to increase the availability of local foods in schools, USDA Farm to School grants can help farm to school programs get started or expand existing efforts. Funds support a wide range of activities from training, planning, and developing partnerships to creating new menu items, establishing supply chains, offering taste tests to children, purchasing equipment, planting school gardens, and organizing field trips to agricultural operations. | | | |
Dairy Decisions Consultant Grants | The Center for Dairy Excellence assists dairy farm families in the decision-making process and serves as a catalyst for collaboration to strengthen the broader industry. The Dairy Excellence Foundation supports programs that cultivate and inspire that next generation of Pennsylvania dairy. Grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications will open Sept. 15, 2024. | | | |
SARE Grant Programs Support Farmer-Focused Research and Education | Since 1988, SARE has invested more than $31 million in NIFA provided research funds to support research and education projects that bring new ideas to farms and ranches around the country. | | | |
USDA Expands Support for Producers to Stop the Spread of H5N1 in Dairy Cattle | WASHINGTON, May 23, 2024 -- Since the detection of H5N1 in dairy cattle in March, USDA has worked swiftly and diligently to assess the prevalence of the virus in U.S. dairy herds and to use the latest scientific data to learn about the virus and to quickly contain the disease event. | | | |
Archived Newsletter and Grow Together Blog | |
Did you know we archive all of the newsletters? | |
The Grow Together blog features seasonal topics! | |
A cooperative effort between the GRCA and the Berks County Department of Agriculture through the support of the Berks County Commissioners. | | | | |
