County kicks-off major building renovation project at Berks County Agriculture Center | The Berks County Board of Commissioners held a press conference to announce a new renovation project for the Berks County Agricultural Center building in Bern Township. The event highlighted Phase 1 and Phase 2 upgrades to the two-story office block, one-story warehouse block, and site improvements including the conversion of warehouse space... | | | |
AgriStress Helpline - AgriSafe Network | If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 833-897-2474 | | | |
How much carbon is stored in farm fields? | The question is getting more attention from lawmakers, researchers and industry professionals. | | | |
Wild mustangs find protection at Pennsylvania Horse Sanctuary | |
Chelsea Gammon has owned ponies, Thoroughbreds and sport horses, but it was a wild mustang from the Calico Mountain Herd in Nevada that won her heart and changed her life.
Gammon named that adopted mare Folly. The horse was born in the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s Nevada holding facility after its mother had been part of mustang gatherings. Folly is now the queen of a small herd of mustangs in a sanctuary — Folly and Friends — in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
| | | |
Pennsylvania's bio-economy poised to grow | Pennsylvania is well positioned to lead the biobased economy, with Coexist Build showcasing hemp-based construction products and numerous businesses highlighting the potential of agricultural raw materials for various industries... | | | |
Women are changing the face of agriculture | Jess Herr is a fifth-generation farmer who grew up watching her mother work alongside her father as they handpicked tobacco each summer on Southview Farms in West Lampeter Township. Now Herr is the first woman to represent Pennsylvania as a national FFA officer and one of many young women who are redefining the face of agriculture. | | | |
Shapiro Administration recognizes farm families' staying power, honoring new bicentennial farm in Berks County | |
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding honored the Donald and Donna Kerchner family of Lenhartsville, Berks County. The Kerchner Family Farm was established in 1790. Today, the family raises beef cattle on more than 97 acres of the original purchase.
Berks County has 33 Century and 12 Bicentennial Farms.
| | | |
Whether you’re looking for local gift ideas, tips and recipes to use in your own home, or Berks County farm news, you can find it all on our blog and more. There’s something for everyone to read and enjoy. | | | |
Earn Income Tax Credits by Implementing Conservation Practices | |
REAP is a first-come, first-served program that enables farmers, businesses and landowners to earn PA income tax credits to offset the cost of implementing conservation practices. Tax credits provided by the REAP program help farmers offset the costs of implementing best management practices (BMPs) that benefit their farms and work to protect water quality at the same time. The 2023-24 REAP Application packet is now available and the commission will be accepting 2023-24 REAP Applications from Aug. 7 through Oct. 31, 2023. | |
List of conservation-related positions throughout Pennsylvania. | | | |
Jobs, internships & contracting opportunities - Pasa Sustainable Agriculture | Want to (literally) dig into soil health research? We’ll need a lot of help collecting soil samples this fall from our 100+ participating farms. Check out our Soil Health Internship openings for Fall 2023! This is a seasonal position beginning Sept. 25 and concluding mid-December. | | | |
Dairy Job Opportunities | Center for Dairy Excellence | 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. | | | |
|
Berks Ag Event Calendar on the NEW Grow Together Website
Find your next event here, from credit courses to weekend family fun! This calendar is a community effort to benefit farmers and non-farmers alike! Are you planning an agricultural event in Berks County? Complete the online form to have your event featured on the Grow Together website's event calendar.
| |
Starting and Improving Farms Conference: Sept. 19 - 20 | Do you want to start a farm, diversify your existing farm or begin an agritourism business? If so, this two-day conference will provide opportunities to explore new... | | | |
Transitioning Land to a New Generation: Getting Started | |
Partnering with the nation’s leading experts in land transfer, we are creating an adaptable, skills-based curriculum. This curriculum will serve ag service providers working with a new generation of producers and landowners as they navigate the complex financial, legal, and interpersonal issues involved in land and business transfer. Transitioning Land to a New Generation: Getting Started builds on our previous Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, or BFRDP, grant project, Farmland for the Next Generation. It is part of many ongoing, multi-faceted partnerships with organizations committed to helping beginning producers succeed. | |
Farm Sense is a four-session workshop that teaches farmers how to understand financial statements such as the cash flow statement, the balance sheet and the income statement. All agricultural businesses, business owners/operators, and managers, including Livestock, Dairy, Crops, all Horticulture (including Orchards, Greenhouses, and Vegetable Operations), Diversified Farms, Urban Farms and Hydroponic farms will benefit from Farm Sense. Also, FSA Loan Recipients in need of Borrower Training. | |
2023 Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference
Wednesday, September 13 | 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Finding balance between the bulls and the bears in dairy markets can seem like a battle at best, chaos at its worst. There are so many variables, so many voices weighing in, and so much that is hard to predict as we try to find balance and solutions in this ever-changing marketplace. At this year’s Dairy Financial & Risk Management Conference, we’ll help balance the equation for you – with expert speakers who will break down the chaos into outlooks, forecasts, and solutions that offer opportunities for our industry.
The one-day conference will include four timely sessions:
- The Dairy Market Equation: 2023 Overview and 2024 Outlook with Dr. Ken Bailey
- Breaking Down Dairy Policy: Farm Bill and FMMO Reform with Dr. Chris Wolf and Paul Bleiberg
- Climate-Smart Opportunities for Dairy with Brett Reinford (Reinford Farms), Curt Gooch (Land O’Lakes), Matt Royer (Penn State), and Mike Hosterman (Horizon Farm Credit)
- Calculating Where PA Stands: Performance Indicators with Samantha Gehrett and Rob Goodling
| |
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. | | | | |
