PHILADELPHIA, PA — State officials visited Sankofa Farm at Bartram’s Garden on Thursday as part of Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2025 Urban Agriculture Tour, highlighting major investments aimed at strengthening food access and expanding career opportunities in agriculture across Pennsylvania’s urban centers.
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Labor & Industry Secretary Nancy Walker underscored the administration’s commitment to urban farming and workforce development during the Philadelphia stop. The visit showcased Sankofa Farm’s new apprenticeship program, supported by a $399,533 state grant to prepare young adults for careers in agriculture. The initiative is part of a broader $6.6 million push to expand opportunities in high-demand sectors such as agriculture, health care, and information technology.
“Young people across Pennsylvania are receiving priceless life skills, confidence, and in some cases, starting their careers debt-free,” said Redding, praising the Sankofa program for its ability to transform communities.
The Sankofa Farm apprenticeship, which draws from African Diaspora cultural traditions and centers on food justice, is recognized nationally for its accredited youth workforce model. Secretary Walker called the new program a “strategic investment” in building an inclusive and innovative agricultural workforce.
The visit is one of several statewide stops made this week by Secretary Redding to highlight the Shapiro administration’s growing portfolio of urban agriculture initiatives. Other events included a greenhouse expansion in Pittsburgh supported by an Agricultural Innovation Grant and a visit to a Johnstown workforce program training students with disabilities in groundskeeping and property maintenance.
Earlier on Thursday, the tour visited Chamounix Stables in West Fairmount Park, where the state is investing $500,000 to upgrade facilities for the Work2Ride program, which teaches Philadelphia youth leadership skills through equestrian sports.
Governor Shapiro’s administration has increased funding for vocational, technical, and apprenticeship programs by nearly $65 million since taking office—a 50% boost. His 2025-26 budget proposal calls for an additional $12.5 million for workforce development and proposes increases to food security initiatives, including a $4 million boost each to the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System and the State Food Purchase Program.
Pennsylvania has also committed more than $3.2 million to urban agriculture infrastructure since 2019 through the state’s Farm Bill, funding 160 projects in 19 counties. The investments have helped local groups build greenhouses, off-grid utilities, and cold storage units to expand access to healthy food in underserved areas.
With increased demand for innovation, the Shapiro administration plans to expand the Agricultural Innovation Grant Program by $13 million in the upcoming fiscal year. Last year, the program was oversubscribed by nearly $60 million, illustrating the growing appetite for agricultural modernization across the state.
Pennsylvania currently supports 13 registered agricultural apprenticeship programs, with three and two pre-apprenticeship programs launched under Shapiro’s leadership, further embedding urban agriculture into the state’s long-term workforce strategy.
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