By Blake Jackson
Pennsylvania leaders continue supporting agriculture workforce development through expanded apprenticeship programs, farmer training, and infrastructure investments designed to help prepare the next generation of farmers. State officials and agriculture organizations recently highlighted these efforts during National Apprenticeship Week at The Seed Farm in Lehigh County.
The farm serves as a training center for beginning farmers by offering access to land, equipment, infrastructure, and technical support. Pasa Sustainable Agriculture now helps manage the farm while continuing partnerships with regional organizations and the Shapiro Administration to support agriculture education and business development.
Pennsylvania agriculture remains one of the state’s largest industries, supporting more than 48,000 farms and nearly 600,000 jobs. State leaders said workforce training and apprenticeship opportunities are important because agriculture employers continue facing challenges finding skilled workers.
Pennsylvania currently offers 11 agriculture apprenticeship programs, including Diversified Vegetable and Dairy Grazing Apprenticeships developed with Pasa. These programs allow participants to earn income while learning directly from experienced farmers in real-world farming environments.
“Pennsylvania needs farmers,” Secretary Russell Redding said. “And beginning farmers need support like hands-on training under experienced mentors, as well as land access and capital for equipment. The Shapiro Administration is committed not only to giving beginning farmers tools to succeed, but to helping Pennsylvania agriculture businesses meet increasingly complex challenges in a specialized industry.”
The Seed Farm also continues expanding its facilities through grant support. Recent funding helped improve greenhouse space, commercial kitchen areas, and washing and packing stations for farm operations.
“This partnership represents an exciting opportunity to strengthen the support for beginning farmers in our region while building on The Seed Farm’s strong foundation,” Hannah Kinney Smith, Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Pasa Sustainable Agriculture Executive Director, said. “By connecting our training programs with on-the-ground incubator opportunities, we’re creating a more complete pathway for farmers to launch and sustain their businesses.”
State officials also continue investing in agriculture workforce development through increased apprenticeship funding, farm business support programs, and grants designed to strengthen Pennsylvania agriculture for future generations.
Additional information about investments supporting Pennsylvania agriculture is available in Governor Shapiro’s 2026-‘27 budget proposal and continued support for Pennsylvania farmers at pa.gov/governor.
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Categories: Pennsylvania, Government & Policy