PA Announces $1.5 Million in Farm-to-School and Ag Education Grants

Farm-to-School and Ag Education GrantsCredit: Commonwealth Media Services

PENNSYLVANIA — Pennsylvania is investing in the future of its agriculture and youth programs with nearly $1.5 million in announced grants. Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding made the announcement yesterday at the PA Farms to Families Immersion Lab at the PA Farm Show, with awards going to schools and ag education programs through the PA Farm Bill 2022-23 Farm to School and Agriculture and Youth Grant Programs.

These investments will help promote development in the areas of agriculture, community leadership, vocational training, and peer fellowship for youth organizations, as well as improve access to healthy, local foods and increase agriculture education opportunities for children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding believes that young people are the hope for the future of Pennsylvania’s agricultural industry. Redding stated that by investing in teachers, programs, field trips, and access to fresh foods there is an opportunity to foster among youth a positive connection with farming as well as greater understanding of agricultural issues. In order to create possibilities for students to explore this interest, Redding has allocated $1.5 million towards initiatives that will offer educational experiences and faciliate access to healthy foods. Through this investment, Redding hopes agriculture education will ignite the enthusiasm of young people across the state and pave the way for success in developing new agri-businesses operations.

The Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation earned a $25,000 grant to upgrade their successful mobile ag lab.

“This grant will help the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture replace one of our Mobile Ag Ed Science Lab Trailers, said grant recipient Charlene Espenshade, Executive Director Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation. “This grant helps to reduce our program overhead and keeps this program affordable for schools across the state. Since this program’s inception nearly 20 years ago, more than 1.5 million students have learned about the power of agriculture in their everyday lives.”

In their third year earning Farm to School grant program funds, West Perry School District was awarded $11,837 this round to continue progress with their fourth grade program. The West Perry project works to teach agricultural science concepts, expose students to local farms, and raise awareness of farming as an exciting and viable career. Educators do this through tailored and engaging lesson plans in their classrooms and field trips in collaboration with the LEAF Project.

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“West Perry School District is fortunate to engage our students in learning science authentically in many ways—including the lessons made possible by the Farm to School grant and our partnership with the LEAF project,” said Michele Dubaich, assistant superintendent at West Perry School District.” The Agriscience Adventures project that our students and teachers will benefit from will include materials and lessons that address science standards and culminate with a visit to The LEAF farm in Landisburg, Pennsylvania located in our district’s footprint.”

The 2022-23 Agriculture and Youth matching grant awards list is as follows:

Adams County

  • Upper Adams School District, $25,000
  • Littlestown Area School District, $25,000

Allegheny County

  • Manchester Academic Charter School, $20,000

Berks County

  • Goggleworks Center for The Arts, $25,000
  • Kutztown Area School District, $10,000

Butler County

  • Butler Area School District, $25,000
  • Butler Farm Show Inc., $12,500

Clarion County

  • Wolf’s Corners Recreation Association, $25,000

Cumberland County

  • Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation, $25,000

Erie County

  • Northwestern Community Youth Center, $22,614
  • Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Network, $14,883

Fayette County

  • Fayette County Career & Technical Institute, $25,000
  • Maple Bottom Farm, $8,611

Huntingdon County

  • Southern Huntingdon County High School, $10,000

Indiana County

  • Penns Manor Area School District, $25,000
  • Marion Center Area School District, $21,581
  • River Valley School District, $12,500

Juniata County

  • Juniata County Agricultural Society, $20,000

Lawrence County

  • Wilmington Area School District, $25,000

Montgomery County

  • Temple University, $24,500

Perry County

  • Greenwood School District, $25,000

Washington County

  • California Area School District, $25,000
  • Trinity Area School District, $21,579

York County

  • 4-H Clubs of York County INC., $12,249

The 2022-23 Agriculture and Youth direct grants awards list is as follows:

Allegheny County

  • Bethel Park School District, $7,500
  • Highlands School District, $7,500
  • YMCA Of Greater Pittsburgh, $5,500

Armstrong County

  • Lenape Technical School, $7,370

Beaver County

  • Pennsylvania State University, $6,820
  • Big Beaver Falls Area School District, $3,071
  • Rochester Area School District, $7,500

Berks County

  • Conrad Weiser Area School District, $6,000
  • Berks County Conservation District, $7,500

Blair County

  • Spring Cove School District, $7,500
  • Williamsburg Community Farm, $3,914
  • Williamsburg Community Junior Senior High School, $7,500

Bradford County

  • Athens Area School District, $7,500

Bucks County

  • The Pennsylvania State University, $7,005

Cambria County

  • Admiral Peary AVTS, $7,500

Centre County

  • The Pennsylvania State University, $7,500
  • The Pennsylvania State University, $7,500

Chester County

  • Octorara Area School District, $7,500
  • Chester County Intermediate Unit, $7,500
  • Oxford Area School District – High School, $6,825
  • Chester County Economic Development Foundation, $6,500
  • Chester County Future Farmers of America, $7,500
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Clarion County

  • The Pennsylvania State University, $3,150

Clearfield County

  • DuBois Area Catholic School, $7,500

Clinton County

  • Keystone Central School District CTC, $7,500

Cumberland/Dauphin County

  • Harrisburg University, $7,153

Dauphin County

  • Friendship Community 4-H Club, $7,500
  • Hershey Gardens, $6,511
  • Blessed to Give, Inc, $5,880

Delaware County

  • Williamson College of the Trades, $7,500
  • Delaware County Education Foundation, $7,000
  • Chester Upland School District, $7,500

Erie County

  • The Pennsylvania State University, $7,500
  • The Pennsylvania State University, $5,850
  • Union City Area School District, $7,482

Fayette County

  • East End United Community Center, $7,465
  • Fayette County Career & Technical Institute, $7,399

Franklin County

  • James Buchanan High School, $7,500
  • Waynesboro Area School District, $5,000
  • Chambersburg Area School District, $1,500
  • Healy-Schaefer Horsemanship, $4,602

Huntingdon County

  • Juniata Valley School District, $7,397

Indiana County

  • Marion Center Area School District AG Program/FFA, $7,500
  • ARIN Intermediate Unit 28, $7,500

Jefferson County

  • Quiet Creek Herb Farm & School of Country Living, $7,500
  • Brockway Area School District, $7,500

Lancaster County

  • The Edible Classroom, $7,500
  • Eastern Lancaster County School District, $4,720
  • Lancaster Mennonite School, $1,310

Lebanon County

  • Eastern Lebanon County School District, $4,080

McKean County

  • Pennsylvania State University, $6,481
  • Otto-Eldred High School, $7,500

Mifflin County

  • Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology, $7,464

Monroe County

  • Pocono Organics LLC, $7,500

Montgomery County

  • Variety-the Children’s Charity of the Delaware Valley, $7,500
  • Stewart Middle School, $2,000
  • Temple University, $7,500
  • Trellis for Tomorrow, $7,400

Montour County

  • Danville Area High School, $7,500

Perry County

  • Newport School District, $7,500
  • LEAF Project, Inc., $7,500

Philadelphia County

  • Saul Supporters, $7,500
  • The Urban Creators, $7,500.00
  • Empowered Community Development Corporation, $7,500

Tioga County

  • Wellsboro Area School District, $7,500
  • RB Walter Elementary School, $6,000

Warren County

  • Warren Forest Higher Education, $7,500

Washington County

  • Trinity Area School District, $7,500
  • California Area School District, $7,500

Westmoreland County

  • Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc., $7,500
  • Southmoreland Senior High School, $7,500

Wyoming County

  • Northern Tier Industry & Education Consortium (NTIEC), $7,500

York County

  • Eastern York Highschool, $7,043
  • Dover Area High School, $7,500
  • Glenn Hope Care Farm Inc, $7,500

Statewide

  • Dairy Excellence Foundation, $7,500

The 2022-23 Farm to School grant awards list is as follows:

Adams County

  • Gettysburg Montessori Charter School, $2,250
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Allegheny County

  • Elizabeth Forward School District, $15,000
  • Manchester Academic Charter School, $14,850

Beaver County

  • Riverside Beaver County School District, $1,268
  • Big Beaver Falls Area School District, $5,417

Berks County

  • Tulpehocken Area School District, $15,000
  • Kutztown Area School District, $15,000
  • Hamburg Area School District, $15,000
  • Schuylkill Valley School District, $15,000
  • Conrad Weiser Area School District, $10,000
  • The Children’s Home of Reading, $15,000

Bradford County

  • Northeast Bradford School District, $6,000

Bucks County

  • Bucks County Intermediate Unit, $14,898

Butler County

  • Seneca Valley Academy of Choice, $14,085
  • Haine Middle School, $14,085

Centre County

  • The Learning Station, $14,700

Chester County

  • Owen J Roberts School District, $15,000
  • Avon Grove Charter School, $6,500
  • The Children’s Treehouse Early Learning Center, $10,525
  • Avon Grove School District, $5,908
  • Unionville Chadds Ford School District, $3,058
  • Great Valley School District, $7,500

Cumberland County

  • Saint Patrick Parish and School Charitable Trust, $7,740
  • Big Spring School District, $15,000

Dauphin County

  • Susquehanna Township School District, $10,268

Erie County

  • Elk Valley School District, $15,000
  • Early Connections, Inc., $8,589.66

Fayette County

  • East End United Community Center, $15,000

Greene County

  • Carmichaels Area School District, $10,655

Lancaster County

  • New Holland Early Learning Center, $15,000

Lawrence County

  • Pre-K Kids Learning Center, $11,677.50

Lebanon County

  • Annville-Cleona School District, $15,000
  • Eastern Lebanon County School District, $15,000

Lehigh County

  • Jewish Day School of the Lehigh Valley, $15,000
  • Seven Generations Charter School, $10,715

Mifflin County

  • Sacred Heart of Jesus School, $8,400

Monroe County

  • Pocono Mountain School District, $5,052.13

Montgomery County

  • Colonial School District, $13,110
  • Upper Dublin School District, $4,995

Perry County

  • West Perry School District, $11,837.50
  • Newport School District, $5,300

Philadelphia County

  • Hope Partnership for Education, $15,000
  • Methodist Services, $15,000

Pike County

  • Wallenpaupack Area School District, $15,000

Schuylkill County

  • Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29, $15,000

Tioga County

  • Wellsboro Area School District, $2,000

Washington County

  • California Area School District, $12,924

Westmoreland County

  • Queen of Angels Catholic School, $12,000

Full lists of grant awards are available for Ag and Youth and Farm to School. For more information about the PA Farm Bill, and investments to support Pennsylvania agriculture, visit agriculture.pa.gov/pafarmbill.

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