HARRISBURG, PA — Governor Josh Shapiro on Wednesday used the spotlight of the 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show to launch a bold new $10 million investment aimed at transforming how Pennsylvania farmers grow food, generate energy, and compete in a rapidly changing global economy.
Standing alongside Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, Shapiro announced that applications will open February 2 for the second round of Pennsylvania’s first-in-the-nation Agricultural Innovation Grant Program, a flagship initiative designed to drive technology, sustainability, and profitability across the Commonwealth’s vast farm economy .
The new funding round builds on a highly competitive inaugural year, when more than $68 million in requests poured in from farmers and ag producers seeking a share of the initial $10 million pool . That first round funded 88 projects in 45 counties, supporting everything from precision farming and renewable energy to soil conservation and processing efficiency .
“In my Administration, we know that economic growth and opportunity run right through our farmlands,” Shapiro said during the Farm Show visit. “By launching a second $10 million round of the nation’s first Agricultural Innovation Grant Program, we’re continuing to help farmers and ag businesses adopt new technologies, strengthen their operations, and compete for the future” .
Pennsylvania agriculture is a cornerstone of the state’s economy, supporting nearly 50,000 farms, more than 600,000 jobs, and generating $132.5 billion a year in economic activity . Under Shapiro’s economic development strategy, agriculture sits alongside life sciences, manufacturing, energy, and robotics as one of the Commonwealth’s primary engines of long-term growth.
Redding said the new grants continue a tradition of innovation that stretches back to the state’s earliest farms.
“Our farmers were the nation’s original innovators,” Redding said. “Under Governor Shapiro’s leadership, Pennsylvania is investing in the tools and technologies farmers need to meet today’s challenges and lead tomorrow’s solutions” .
Funded projects from the first round include technologies that improve on-farm and processing efficiency, generate renewable energy while reducing nutrient waste, and support crops and practices that store carbon or replace non-renewable resources . Among the beneficiaries were Metzler Forest Products, which received a $550,000 grant to expand biochar manufacturing, and Sterman Masser, an eighth-generation farm that secured $200,000 for a state-of-the-art potato planter expected to double planted acreage and reduce fuel use .
Guidelines and application procedures for the new grant round will be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and posted at pa.gov/aginnovation on January 24, with applications open from February 2 through April 18, 2026 .
The announcement came as thousands of visitors packed the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, where the annual showcase of agriculture, food, and innovation runs through Saturday, January 17, under the theme “Growing a Nation” .
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