Pennsylvania Announces $1.8 Million Investment in Organic Farming

Organic FarmingCredit: Commonwealth Media Services

PENNSYLVANIA — Pennsylvania is taking a big step forward in the world of organic farming. On Friday, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced $1.8 million in targeted investments over three years to help Pennsylvania farmers and processors voluntarily transition to growing and producing organic products. This builds on momentum gained through the PA Farm Bill, which was passed last year with strong bipartisan support.

“Pennsylvania is leading the way in organic agriculture, ranking third in the nation for sales of local, organic products, contributing more than $1 billion to the commonwealth’s economy,” said Secretary Redding. “Innovation and partnerships in organic are ensuring we meet the needs of consumers now and well into the future. Governor Wolf and the General Assembly’s support of the only state-based Farm Bill was instrumental in getting us to this point, and I’m looking forward to continued growth in organic.”

Rodale Institute was awarded $750,000 for three years, and Team Ag, in partnership with Pennsylvania Certified Organic and Kitchen Table Consultants, was awarded $1,041,604 for three years. These organizations will offer free on-farm technical assistance for Pennsylvania producers and processors seeking to transition and become USDA-certified organic. This effort expands on the work of the PA Farm Bill’s PA Preferred® Organic initiative to grow market opportunities for Pennsylvania farmers and keep PA a national leader in organic production.

Pennsylvania consumers are increasingly interested in purchasing a greater quantity and variety of organic foods. By producing more organic products in-state, Pennsylvania farmers can meet the demands of this rapidly expanding market opportunity by diversifying their farm, generating greater income, and strengthening an already robust PA agriculture industry.

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The USDA National Agriculture Statistics Services recently released organic data for 2021, and there has been a staggering 48 percent increase in the production and sale of organic commodities, totaling $1.09 billion, since 2019.

Pennsylvania continues to reign supreme in organic mushroom sales, leading the nation with $95.4 million in sales in 2021.

To learn more about the department’s organic initiative and other programs, visit agriculture.pa.gov.

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