West Greene, Burgettstown receive PA Farm Bill grant funding
The Burgettstown and West Greene school districts will receive funding through the reenacted Pennsylvania Farm Bill, which Gov. Tom Wolf announced Tuesday will supply $500,000 in Ag and Youth grants intended to improve access to agriculture education across the commonwealth.
The $500,000 in Ag and Youth grants will benefit 55 projects in 25 counties and is intended to address the looming 75,000 workforce deficit Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry faces in the coming decade, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
West Greene was awarded $25,000 for an upgrade to its agricultural education facility and $7,490 for a fume extraction unit for the ag mechanic program while Burgettstown will receive $7,500 to use toward the creation of an FFA chapter, the release said.
“Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists and agribusiness owners,” Wolf said. “This $500,000 is the seed to tomorrow’s bountiful future for Pennsylvania agriculture.”
In July, Wolf signed Act 40 to reenact Pennsylvania’s Ag and Youth Grant program as part of the state’s first-ever Pennsylvania Farm Bill. The program provides youth organizations direct and nonmatching grants of up to $7,500 to defray costs of eligible projects and matching reimbursement grants of up to $25,000 for capital projects or equipment purchases, the release said.
“The Ag Youth Grant program will give our communities a significant boost to a variety of agriculture education efforts and provide the groundwork to grow our state’s successful agriculture industry into the next generation,” said state Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington.
Eligible projects included those that are for education or workforce development seminars or field trips, agricultural safety training programs and capital projects or equipment, the release said.
“All youth should have access to the same opportunities for growth and career development,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “These programs are urban, rural, or suburban, and they all further our mission to grow the industry’s future leaders. It’s experiences in these programs that we hope will influence Pennsylvania youth for a lifetime.”