County of Berks Kicks Off Comprehensive Study on Agricultural Economic Impact and Strategic Action Plan as Part of IMAGINE Berks

The Berks County Department of Agriculture is launching an ambitious initiative to assess and enhance the economic impact of its agricultural industry as part of the County's overarching economic development strategy, IMAGINE Berks. With over 1,800 farms contributing to a market value of more than $554 million, agriculture plays a pivotal role in Berks County's economy.

Growing up on a farm taught all three the necessities as they developed their own dairy operations.

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding unveiled the 2024 PA Farm Show Butter Sculpture, a 1,000-pound diorama in dairy titled, A Table for All: Pennsylvania Dairy Connects Communities. The sculpture was designed and crafted by Jim Victor and Marie Pelton of Conshohocken to reflect the 2024 Farm Show theme, Connecting Our Communities, and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of PA Preferred®, Pennsylvania's statewide brand for locally grown and made agricultural products.

Pennsylvania livestock producers eyeing retail must secure a USDA-inspected facility, navigate licensing complexities, and ensure effective communication with inspectors and townships for success.

Fill a Glass with Hope® is a partnership formed among Feeding Pennsylvania and our member food banks, the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association, and American Dairy Association North East that raises funds to enable our member food banks to purchase fresh milk directly from their local dairies in order to distribute it to families in need.

What are Agricultural Partnerships? Pennsylvania is home to a diverse agricultural landscape spanning more than 52,000 farms covering 7.3 million acres. With this abundance of resources, there should be no reason anyone should be struggling with hunger, yet more than 2 million Pennsylvanians are struggling with hunger every day, nearly 630,000 of whom are children....

The Innovation Fund provides grants to projects focused on improving environmental health and climate resiliency in Berks County. Projects that include collaboration across sectors and/or opportunities for partnership building will be prioritized. For more information on environmental health and climate resilience, refer to the recent study for Berks County, conducted by the Institute for Conservation Leadership.  

Projects can include but are not limited to:  

• New approaches to strengthen environmental health and climate resiliency, including research into new approaches. 
• Small-scale implementation/construction of environmental best management practices (e.g. planting trees and native shrubs, community gardens, etc.)  
• Support to obtain state or federal funding  
• Education and outreach  
• Project planning and development

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Emily Smedley, Environment and Energy Program Officer, with project ideas before starting the application. After you have submitted your application, Emily may reach out to applicants to discuss the project in greater detail.  



TIMELINE:

• Draft application due Feb. 1, 2024. (Optional)
• Edits/responses back to applicant on Feb. 15, 2024.
• Applications due on March 8, 2024.
• Announcements on April 15, 2024.

For outdoor enthusiasts who appreciate the natural resources that are Pennsylvania's waterways, a career as a Waterways Conservation Officer (WCO) is an exciting opportunity. WCOs are state officers that are specifically trained in fishery conservation, watercraft safety, and environmental protection.

February 29, 2024 - 8:00 AM-4:30 PM | Food Safety Modernization Act: Produce Grower Certification Training is for fruit and vegetable growers, and other persons, interested in learning about product safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and co-management of natural resources and food safety. The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement (§112.22.c).

February 27, 2024 - 12 PM | Register Online: 3 Steps to your Profitable Farm "3 Steps To Your Profitable Farm" Webinar w/ Charlotte Smith PA Farm Link, in collaboration with Northeastern Risk Management Education, are offering a free webinar on Feb. 27, 2024 to learn how to make your farm business a success through Charlotte Smith's expert marketing insight.

March 8 - 9, 2024 | Whether you need to find land on which to farm or are transitioning into an existing family or non-family farm business, many questions arise regarding legal business structures, business and retirement planning, as ​well as how to file taxes, among many other questions.

February 29, 2024: Join Extension specialists for the Living on a Few Acres webinar series to learn all about butchering at home.

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.

During Becoming a NRCS Certified Technical Service Provider, agricultural professionals will learn about USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Technical Service Provider (TSP) Program. 

Discover insights on pricing strategies and market trends that can enhance your profitability. Our expert presenters will guide you through optimizing pricing structures and provide strategies such as bundling to help you gain a competitive edge.

You have the power to recycle and conserve our natural resources, protecting our planet for the next generation. Let's Take Our Sustainability Journey Together. YOU use our products and bring them back to us for proper recycling. WE will continue to make products that are built to be recyclable, sustainable, and help reduce emissions.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service in Pennsylvania is urging landowners interested in restoring, e...

United States Department of Agriculture The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is updating the Federal crop insurance program to affirm the use of USDA conservation practices as Good Farming Practices for crop insurance.