July 21, 2021

The Berks County Department of Agriculture is pleased to introduce our Deputy Director, Emily Wangolo. This new position in the department reflects our commitment to build on the successful agricultural land preservation program by providing broader support to agribusiness in the county. Emily will be promoting and connecting local agribusinesses, liaising with agricultural partner organizations, and supporting the land preservation program. Emily is a Berks County native with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and a master’s degree in Agronomy. Tami Hildebrand, Executive Director, said “With her very diverse agricultural experience, Emily brings an understanding of agriculture, science, soil, food supply, and production that will complement and further enhance our team.”

Report: Small Farms Have Big Economic Impact Despite vastly outnumbering large farms, small farms produce only a tiny fraction of Pennsylvania's total agricultural output. However, these small operations support billions of dollars' worth of economic activity while helping to keep land in... Read more www.lancasterfarming.com

Celebrating Ice Cream Month in July July is National Ice Cream Month. Oh goody! I am forced to honor the occasion by writing about my favorite thing (as if you didn't know). I recently wrote about teaberry ice cream and the fondness we in Pennsylvania hold for it. I have written... Read more www.lancasterfarming.com

The 7 decisions that worry farmers most It's no secret to anyone leading a farm operation or who is on deck to be the farm's next leader: There's a lot of responsibility on a farm leader's shoulders. Most farm CEOs have been farming for a long time - maybe even their entire career -... Read more www.farmprogress.com

Grow Together Campaign Continues to Support Berks County Farmers

Make sure your ag business is on the list!

Resources for Farmers

USDA to provide pandemic assistance to livestock... Livestock and poultry producers who suffered losses during the pandemic due to insufficient access to processing can apply for assistance for those losses and the cost of depopulation and disposal of the animals. The U.S. Agriculture Secretary... Read more www.agdaily.com

Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program It provides loans and grants to Microenterprise Development Organizations (MDOs) to: To help microenterprises startup and growth through a Rural Microloan Revolving Fund. Provide training and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and micro... Read more www.rd.usda.gov

Research Grant Program Holstein Association USA is the world's largest dairy cattle breed organization, offering information services to all dairy producers. The Holstein Association offers dairy cattle identification, genetic evaluation, type evaluation, mating... Read more www.holsteinusa.com

Pa. bill would protect farms that run agritourism activities The Pennsylvania General Assembly last week passed an agritourism bill that farmers say will help keep them in business and attract new consumers with activities like story times, goat yoga and mud runs. The legislation offers legal protection to ... Read more www.readingeagle.com

COVID convinced farmers to sell directly to consumers,... County Line Meats lost a large portion of its customer base when Ohio temporarily shuttered most restaurants in mid-March last year. Then it faced lingering uncertainty as the hospitality industry navigated pandemic-related restrictions and ... Read more norwalkreflector.com

New executive order aims to promote competition in... On Friday, July 9, President Joe Biden signed the Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, which includes 72 initiatives by more than a dozen federal agencies to tackle major competition problems that face our economy. Read more www.agdaily.com

5 Berks County farms permanently protected from development Five Berks County farms have been protected from development, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture announced recently. Among the Berks farms is Richard C. and Kathleen Dietrich's 88.6-acre crop farm in Greenwich Township. The Dietrich farm... Read more www.readingeagle.com

Year-round ag labor fix included in appropriations bill The agriculture industry's labor situation has been a concern for many years, and currently large segments face a critical shortage of workers. This shortfall is exacerbated by the fact that the H-2A program is not working for all of agriculture, ... Read more www.farmprogress.com

Berks Agricultural Resource Network is celebrating the start of summer and the kick-off of their newest game - B.A.R.N.OPOLY! This contest (or game!) will take place over 2 months and features 30 participating locations.  Grab your board and get started exploring amazing farms and ag-related businesses across the county. Register now and learn more at berksag.org/barnopoly

Ag Progress Days to feature crop exhibits, wildlife... PUBLISHED ON UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A wide variety of crop management, wildlife and conservation education, as well as the signature hay show, will take place in and around the J.D. Harrington Crops, Soils and Conservation Building during Penn... Read more www.morningagclips.com

Agriculture Viability Series: Planning the Human... Learn how to lessen the amount spent on one of your biggest business expenses from the experts! Read more extension.psu.edu

A cooperative effort between the GRCA and the Berks County Department of Agriculture through the support of the Berks County Commissioners.

‌	Department of Agriculture

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Questions?: Contact Tami Hildebrand at thildebrand@countyofberks.com  or 484-818-0845.