Federal funds drive climate-smart farming in PA

By Blake Jackson

Nearly $1 billion in federal funds are being allocated to Pennsylvania's agricultural community and researchers to promote farming practices that combat climate change. The funding, provided through the federal Farm Bill and the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act, is part of a broader effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encourage consumers to support climate-smart products.

One of the key beneficiaries is the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which will receive $21 million to assist dairy farmers in reducing emissions from livestock and manure. This funding marks the first time the department will pay farmers to implement newly researched food additives that improve cow digestion and reduce methane emissions, primarily through burping.

The National Hemp Association will also receive $19.6 million to enhance conservation practices on 5,000 acres of hemp production in Pennsylvania and other states within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These efforts aim to improve sustainability within the hemp farming sector.

Several grants will focus on promoting and marketing climate-smart products. For instance, the Rodale Institute will receive funding to help vegetable farmers adopt techniques that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon in the soil. This initiative also includes efforts to promote the farmers' produce in the marketplace.

Another grant will support 20 farming and agroforestry organizations representing 20,000 underserved and mid-scale farmers in Pennsylvania. These groups will work to expand soil health practices and peer-to-peer learning opportunities while developing new income streams for farms and forest lands that adopt climate-smart practices.

Lincoln University will use its grant to build markets for climate-smart products, such as berries, nuts, flowers, and bioenergy fuel, produced in agroforestry systems that incorporate trees. In addition, the Pennsylvania Grazing Lands Coalition, part of an eight-state project, will focus on raising low-carbon beef through sustainable grazing techniques.

These grants are part of a larger effort to promote sustainable farming practices across Pennsylvania, improving both the environment and the agricultural sector.

Photo Credit: karolina-grabowska