PA Farm Bill Aids Urban Programs, Lancaster Farming

Philip Gruber: News Editor, Jan 25, 2021, Updated Dec 7, 2022, Lancaster Farming

Much of Pennsylvania’s 2019 boost in ag spending flowed, as one might expect, to farms and businesses in rural areas. But some of the $23 million PA Farm Bill also supported ag and food programs in cities. “Every county of Pennsylvania had applicants. (Someone in) almost every county was awarded a grant,” said Russell Redding, the state ag secretary. He spoke in a Jan. 13 Facebook event with grant recipients that was part of the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

The most obvious source of funding for non-rural constituents was the PA Farm Bill’s urban ag grant program. In the program’s first year, the state awarded 28 grants totaling $500,000. One went to Philadelphia’s community compost program, which provides large compost bins and tools to a dozen sites at schools and community gardens in the city.

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