HARRISBURG, PA — On Monday, the third day of the 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show, state agriculture leaders announced a sweeping infusion of new funding aimed at preparing the next generation of farmers, technicians, and agribusiness leaders for one of the Commonwealth’s most powerful economic engines.
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding revealed $600,345 in PA Farm Bill Agriculture & Youth Grants, backing 62 projects in 33 counties and one statewide initiative designed to connect young Pennsylvanians with career pathways across the state’s $132.5 billion agriculture industry.
The announcement came during a Career Expo at the Farm Show Complex that brought together more than 2,200 students and 48 agricultural businesses, highlighting the scale of the workforce challenge — and opportunity — facing Pennsylvania’s farm economy. Labor & Industry Secretary Nancy A. Walker and Education Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe joined Redding for the announcement.
“Pennsylvania youth are the fertile ground that will grow our nation’s prosperity in the future,” Redding said. “The Shapiro Administration is committed to investing in opportunities every young person needs to succeed. Our investments in relevant agriculture education today will help Pennsylvania agriculture businesses meet increasingly complex challenges tomorrow.”
The grants include 15 matching awards and 47 direct awards, supporting programs that range from greenhouse construction and animal science labs to urban farm education and mobile agriculture classrooms. Since 2019, the PA Farm Bill’s Ag & Youth Grants program has distributed $3.5 million across 377 projects statewide.
The initiative is funded through Governor Josh Shapiro’s bipartisan 2025–26 budget, which provides a seventh year of support for the program as part of a broader push to expand workforce training and career education in agriculture. Since Shapiro took office, the state has invested $13.8 million annually in the PA Farm Bill and supported more than 115 new apprenticeships tied to agriculture, enrolling over 17,100 new apprentices.
Walker said the investments are strengthening the agricultural labor pipeline through hands-on training that blends traditional farming with modern trades and technology. “Under Governor Josh Shapiro’s leadership, we’re investing in hands-on training through apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships that prepare Pennsylvanians for careers on the farm and in the many trades and industries that support agriculture,” she said.
Rowe said early exposure to agriculture can reshape how students see their future. “There is a place for me here — a place where learning is hands-on and connected to the real world, where technology meets tradition, where curiosity turns into purpose,” she said, calling career exploration a key driver of long-term opportunity.
In Chester County, Trellis for Tomorrow, a nonprofit focused on garden- and farm-based youth programs, received $18,100 to expand its agricultural education and paid work experiences for young people in historically disadvantaged communities. The organization has worked with more than 1,600 youth and produced over 30,000 pounds of organic food for neighbors in need.
Other recipients span every corner of the state, from urban school gardens in Philadelphia to rural greenhouse and livestock programs in Lancaster, Somerset, Tioga, and Warren counties, reflecting the breadth of Pennsylvania’s agricultural landscape.
More information about youth agriculture programs is available at agriculture.pa.gov/kidsarethefuture, and details on PA Farm Bill initiatives and past grant recipients can be found at agriculture.pa.gov/pafarmbill.
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