Pennsylvania Expands Farm Conservation with $5.5M Funding

By Blake Jackson

The Shapiro Administration has announced an investment of more than $5.5 million to strengthen soil and water quality while improving the long-term sustainability of farms across the Susquehanna River Basin.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture distributed $392,119 in Sustainable Agriculture Grants to 16 farms and awarded $5.1 million in Public Private Partnership (PPP) Grants to six conservation organizations. These funds come through the federally supported Most Effective Basin program.

“What farmers do and how they do it matters. Pennsylvania has long been a national leader in conservation of farmland and the soil and water resources we all depend on. That leadership is reflected in the expectations the federal government places on our farmers to improve the Chesapeake Bay’s water quality," Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said.

"But in federal models that measure progress, our farmers don’t always get credit for the work they are doing toward those goals. These grants are both an acknowledgement of Pennsylvania’s leadership, and a tool that will help sustain their farms, and help give them the credit they deserve for improving the quality of life for our entire region.”

The program supports Pennsylvania’s efforts to meet water quality goals tied to the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load and the state’s Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan.

Grant funding will help farmers adopt conservation practices such as cover cropping, rotational grazing, tree planting, and silvopasture. One example is Nathan Drager’s 50-acre Lancaster County farm, where a $20,965 grant will support planting 300 additional trees to expand silvopasture systems.

Pennsylvania continues to lead the nation in farmland preservation, having protected 524 farms and more than 43,500 acres since the current administration began.

Conservation programs like the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program are also driving improvements, with thousands of farmers receiving support to enhance soil health, protect waterways, and ensure sustainable agricultural production across the region.

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Photo Credit: istock-alenamozhjer