HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania’s biggest annual showcase of agriculture opened with marching drums, mounted troopers and a blue ribbon, then rolled into a week of grant announcements, workforce recruiting, innovation funding and tributes to military service and multigenerational family farms, all framed by the 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show theme, “Growing a Nation.”
State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, joined by U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, America250PA Executive Director Cassandra Coleman and other officials, formally opened the eight-day event on January 10, calling agriculture an enduring symbol built not from fabric, but “from soil and sweat,” and celebrating the industry’s role in feeding communities and powering the Commonwealth’s economy.
The opening ceremony, emceed by Deputy Agriculture Secretary Lisa Graybeal, featured a color guard from the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Pennsylvania State Police mounted unit, the Revolutionary New Philly Fife and Drum Company, a Betsy Ross reenactor and a National Anthem performance by Carly Green, 14, of Schuylkill County, a winner of the Farm Show’s Star Spangled Sing-Off.
America250PA’s presence was front and center. Officials unveiled an America250PA semiquincentennial bell — one of a series of Liberty Bell replicas across the state, painted by Pittsburgh artist Cody Sabol in a quilt theme meant to reflect the nation’s agricultural roots and future. Organizers said the bell would rotate throughout the Farm Show Complex during the event, while a second bell would be available for visitors to sign at the America250PA exhibit. The Farm Show was positioned as the kickoff for a year of commemorations leading to the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding.
Two days later, on January 12, the spotlight shifted to youth development and workforce pipelines. Redding announced $600,345 in PA Farm Bill Agriculture & Youth Grants, 15 matching awards and 47 direct awards, funding projects in 33 counties aimed at preparing young people for careers in Pennsylvania’s $132.5 billion agriculture industry. The announcement came during a Career Expo that officials said connected more than 2,200 students with opportunities from 48 agricultural businesses.
Among the grant recipients, Trellis for Tomorrow, a Chester County nonprofit, received $18,100 to expand garden- and farm-based youth programming in 2026. The organization said it has provided hands-on, paid work experiences in agriculture for 22 years, worked with more than 1,600 youth, and in the last six years has distributed more than 30,000 pounds of organic produce through its youth programs.
Labor & Industry Secretary Nancy A. Walker and Education Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe joined the January 12 announcement, tying the grants to broader workforce efforts. Officials said the Shapiro Administration has supported the creation of 115 new apprenticeships since taking office, including four new apprenticeship programs serving agriculture, and enrolled more than 17,100 new apprentices overall. They also pointed to $183 million in funding for career and technical education and apprenticeships in the 2025–26 budget, described as an increase of more than 50 percent compared to when the governor first took office.
On January 13, officials turned to research, market development and sector-specific growth, highlighting Pennsylvania’s Centers for Excellence — partnerships meant to bring together industry groups, higher education and state government. Graybeal said the theme “Growing a Nation” reflected agriculture’s role in the economy, public health and national security, and officials said the centers collectively receive a $4.1 million state investment. They pointed to newer initiatives launched or advanced under the Shapiro Administration, including the Center for Plant Excellence, the Organic Center of Excellence and legislation establishing a PA Preferred Organic brand.
Innovation funding dominated the following day’s message. On January 14, while touring the Farm Show, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Redding announced that applications would open February 2 for a second $10 million round of Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Innovation Grant Program. Officials said the first $10 million round is supporting 88 projects in 45 counties focused on technology adoption, production expansion, soil and water protection, energy efficiency and renewable energy. They said guidelines and application procedures would be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and made available at pa.gov/aginnovation on January 24, with the application window running from February 2 through April 18, 2026.
The Farm Show also made space for military recognition. On January 15, Redding and Maj. Gen. John Pippy, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general, marked Military Appreciation Day with events including a newly established Pennsylvania Veteran Ag Entrepreneurship Award and an Army vs. Navy cookoff using Pennsylvania-grown ingredients. The veteran award went to George Lake, a 30-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran and owner of Thistle Creek Farms in Warriors Mark, Huntingdon County, recognized for building a regenerative, pasture-based livestock operation and mentoring other producers — particularly veterans seeking to enter agriculture. Officials also announced $300,000 will be available in the next round of Veterans in Agriculture Grants Program funding, with the application window opening January 30 and running through March 13, 2026.
By January 16, the event’s weeklong themes converged on legacy and land. Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and Redding designated 11 Bicentennial and Centennial farms — recognizing seven families whose farms have remained in the same family for a century and four farms dating back at least 200 years, including one tied to the Revolutionary War era. Officials said the Century Farm program began in 1977 and the Bicentennial Farm program in 2004, with 2,378 farms recognized under the two programs, along with two tricentennial farms.
State officials used the ceremony to emphasize farmland preservation, noting Pennsylvania’s long-running program has protected thousands of farms and hundreds of thousands of acres from development since voters backed the effort in 1988, and they reiterated the administration’s view that agriculture remains a core pillar of the state’s economic strategy.
Additional information about youth opportunities in agriculture is available at agriculture.pa.gov/kidsarethefuture. Details on PA Farm Bill grants and a map of prior grant recipients are available at agriculture.pa.gov/pafarmbill.
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