SALEM, Ohio — Six families whose farms have been in the same family for more than 100 years were honored during a ceremony Jan. 13, the last day of 2024 Pennsylvania Farm Show. The show, which began on Jan. 6, welcomed thousands of visitors to the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, in Harrisburg, over its eight-day run.
Among the farms recognized during the ceremony was Robert F. Cochran’s Chester County farm, only the second in the state to reach the Tricentennial Farm milestone.
Cochran’s Hidden View Farm was established in Cochranville in 1724. Today, 120 acres of the original farm remain in the Cochran family, who preserved the farmland in 2003.
Other farms recognized were the Stambaugh’s farm, in Perry County, established in 1788; Linda Smith-Gutshall-Young’s farm, in Perry County, established in 1794; Bret and Mary Moyer’s farm, in Union County, established in 1797; the Melanson family farm, in Montgomery County, established in 1922; and the Klusartiz Family Farm, in Lehigh County, established in 1923.
FFA BREAKS RECORDS
The Pennsylvania FFA broke records during its Mid-Winter Convention, held Jan. 8 during the Farm Show. The organization handed out a record 970 first-year member jackets and awarded 504 keystone degrees.
Two new chapter charters were also awarded to Schuylkill Valley High School and Spring Grove High School.
VILSACK VISITS
U.S. Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited the Farm Show on Jan. 10 to announce $26 million in federal funding through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program. The announcement was made during the Public Officials Day Luncheon alongside Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding.
The state will administer the RFSI grant program to fund projects that will strengthen the state’s food systems by improving capacity and resilience in the middle of the supply chain.
PA Farm Show by the numbers
14 calves from four family-run dairy farms were born at the Calving Corner
65 cooking competitions and demonstrations were featured at the PA Preferred Culinary Connection stage
Farm Show staff parked nearly 11,000 cars on Jan. 12, setting a one-day parking record
The Sale of Champions brought in $160,745
20 college students from 15 counties were awarded $28,869 from the PA Farm Show Scholarship Foundation
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture identified multiple funding priorities for projects such as those that benefit historically underserved farmers; projects focused on processing for dairy, fruit, vegetable and organic commodities; projects that enhance worker safety and training and projects submitted directly by growers, producers, processors and shippers.
Grant applications will open Jan. 15 and will close March 30. Applications will be reviewed and scored by an independent panel. Infrastructure Grant applicants may apply for a minimum award of $100,000 and a maximum award of $3 million. Projects may start on July 1 and must be completed by May 2027.
GRANTS AWARDED
The state awarded nearly $800,000 in PA Farm Bill grants through two programs during the Farm Show. The Agriculture & Youth Grants program awarded $498,161 to 47 organizations in 24 counties.
Grants awarded to support projects in Allegheny, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Butler, Chester, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Forest, Greene, Huntingdon, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Perry, Philadelphia, Union, Washington and Westmoreland counties.
PA Farm Bill Ag and Youth Grants provide direct funding of up to $7,500 and matching grants of up to $25,000 to support projects, programs and equipment purchases by youth-run organizations and those with programs that benefit youth or promote agriculture, community leadership, vocational training and peer networking
The state also awarded $300,000 in Veterans in Agriculture Grants to connect military veterans to agricultural opportunities. Grants of $200,000 were awarded to PA Veteran Farming Network, a statewide organization, and $100,000 to Community Partnership, Inc., serving Butler County to provide funding to military veterans to establish or expand farming operations to make them more profitable and sustainable.
The PA Veteran Farming Network will use these funds to administer its second round of Force Multiplier grants.
