Investment funds 58 Projects in 29 Counties to encourage young Pennsylvanians to enter the agricultural industry.
Harrisburg, PA – Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today announced $501,123 in PA Farm Bill Agriculture & Youth Grants awarded to 58 organizations in 29 counties, funding projects that will empower youth to succeed in Pennsylvania’s $132.5 billion agriculture industry. Labor & Industry Secretary Nancy A. Walker joined Secretary Redding in the 2025 PA Farm Show’s So You Want to Be a Farmer area, where anyone can learn how to raise food or flowers for fun, profit, or a new career.
“Our young people hold the energy and potential that will power Pennsylvania tomorrow,” Secretary Redding said. “The Shapiro Administration is committed to empowering young Pennsylvanians by investing in opportunities for them to succeed. Our investments in agriculture education today will help Pennsylvania agriculture businesses meet increasingly complex challenges tomorrow.”
Governor Josh Shapiro’s bipartisan 2024-25 budget funds a sixth year of Ag & Youth Grants through the PA Farm Bill. Since 2019, Ag & Youth Grants have invested $3 million in 315 projects statewide.
Among projects funded by grants awarded in January 2024, funding for Variety – the Children’s Charity of the Delaware Valley is supporting gardens and greenhouse that are living classrooms, where young people with disabilities learn valuable skills to prepare them for permanent employment in the community. In the School District of Philadelphia, elementary students at Fox Chase Farm are learning firsthand about raising poultry using innovative, cutting-edge technology in their automated, mobile chicken house.
Since taking office, Governor Shapiro has invested $13.8 million each year in the PA Farm Bill, continuing support for Pennsylvania’s Commission for Agriculture Education Excellence, and supporting youth education and workforce development initiatives, including the largest increase ever in basic K-12 education funding, increasing Pennsylvania's Career and Technical Education (CTE) funding by $30 million in 2024-25, and continuing to expand broadband internet access to allow students and employers in rural communities to compete.
“By investing in our young people through education and workforce development initiatives, the Shapiro Administration is investing in powering Pennsylvania’s bright future,” Secretary Walker said. “We are setting our Commonwealth up for success by making targeted investments in programs that teach students the skills they need for careers with family-sustaining wages and benefits in growing fields, including – and especially – agriculture.”
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. Past funded projects include agriculture career seminars and field trips, agricultural safety training, capital projects, and equipment purchases aimed at leading students to opportunities in agriculture and building the future workforce Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry needs.
Grant recipients, funded projects, and funding amount by county are as follows:
Allegheny
Hilltop Urban Farm, Youth Seed to Table Market Program, $6,984
Berks
Kutztown Area School District, Classroom to Cafeteria- Hydroponic Growing Towers, $6,676
Greenwich PTO, Cultivating a Curiosity in Agriculture, $7,401
Brandywine Heights Area School District, Brandywine Heights Agriculture Program- Animal and Veterinary Science, $7,500
Conrad Weiser Area School District, Updating Power Equipment for Agriculture and Outdoor Education, $4,976
Brandywine Heights Area School District, Brandywine Heights Agriculture Education Expansion-Greenhouse, $25,000
Blair
Williamsburg Community Farm Show, Improving the sheep and goat pens at Williamsburg Community Farm Show, $7,053
Spring Cove School District, Greenhouse Improvements and Floriculture Tools, $6,513
Blair and Chester
Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation, DLT Farm Tours and Exploration Experiences, $7,500
Bucks
The Middle Bucks Area Vocational Technical School Authority, Agriculture and Youth Program Grant, $25,000
Seneca Valley School District, SV Living Laboratory and School Garden, $7,500
Moniteau School District, Moniteau 2024-2025 Horticultural Upgrades, $7,370
Butler Area School District, BASD Secondary Greenhouse Project, $25,000
Centre
State College Area School District, SCASD Delta Program Greenhouse Revitalization Project $ 4,700
The Pennsylvania State University, Urban Ag Experiential Learning Field Trip, $7,500
The Pennsylvania State University, Youth Technology to Support Agricultural Practices, $7,475
The Pennsylvania State University, Small Fruit Berry Development on the Student Farm, $10,576
Chester
Chester County Technical College High Schools, Educational Field Trips, $7,500
Chester County Intermediate Unit Pennock’s Bridge Campus, Chicken Coop and Run, $6,875
Chester County Intermediate Unit Horticulture Program, Floral Creations, $7,500
Chester County Intermediate Unit Brandywine Campus, Program Expansion, $6,950
Chester County Economic Development Foundation, Career Connections Academy, $7,500
Clarion
The Pennsylvania State University, Clarion County Agricultural Education, $3,489
Wolf’s Corners Fair Youth and Agriculture, Youth Agriculture Project Display and Work Building, $25,000
Clinton
Keystone Central School District Career and Technology Center, Greenhouse, $7,000
Cumberland
Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation, Educating Children About the Importance of Agriculture Through a Mobile Ag Lab, $7,500
Erie
Union City Area School District, Union City Area High School Agriculture Program Experiences, $7,482
Fayette County 4H Dairy Club, Dairy Ag Education Grant, $6,892
Franklin
Shippensburg Area Senior High School, Agriculture Mechanics Wood Working Equipment, $7,500
Huntingdon
Southern Huntingdon County School District, Southern Huntingdon Agriculture Program Laboratory Equipment, $7,500
Juniata Valley School District, Agriculture Curriculum - Food Science Improvement Project, $4,813
Indiana
United School District, Outdoor Classroom and Sensory Garden Boxes, $7,124
Jefferson
Quiet Creek Herb Farm and School of Country Living, Youth and Agriculture: Green Careers in Jefferson County, $7,500
Brockway Area School District, High School Agriculture Program Band Mill Purchase, $7,290
Juniata
Juniata County Agricultural Society, Chase the Banner, $6,500
Juniata Agriculture FFA Program, Savoring the Seasons- Food Preservation, $7,479
Lancaster
Millersville University of Pennsylvania, Farm in the Classroom Competition, $7,500
Manheim Central High School, Workforce Readiness in Small Engine Repair & Maintenance, $7,500
Lebanon
Cedar Crest High School, Welding Gear and Lab Tools, $7,500
Hanover Area School District, Hanover Youth Agricultural Grant, $7,500
Wilkes-Barre Area CTC, Student-Led Fresh Food Access at Wilkes Barre Area Career & Technical Center, $12,332
Lycoming
The Pennsylvania State University, Lycoming County 4-H Programs, $7,454
Montgomery Area High School FFA, Enhancing Ag Mechanics - Safe Tractor Restoration: Acquisition of VIVOR Inflatable Spray Booth, $2,138
Variety the Children’s Charity of the Delaware Valley, Variety's Environmental Education Grant Proposal, $7,500
Montgomery and Chester
Trellis for Tomorrow, SEED Skills Program, $7,500
Montour
The Pennsylvania State University, Montour County 4-H Agricultural and Environmental Science/STEM Program Expansion, $5,496
Danville High School, GIS Drone technology in Agriculture, $7,500
Philadelphia
Northeast High School, Northeast High School-Natural Resource Management Hydroponic Farming, $5,000
YESPhilly, YESPhilly Green Space Initiative, $7,500
The School District of Philadelphia, Fox Chase Farm: Innovation in Agriculture and Career Opportunities, $25,000
Tri-Valley School District, 2024 TIG Welder, $6,643
Somerset
Berlin Brothersvalley School District, 2024 Landscaping Equipment & Tools, $7,499
Tioga
Wellsboro Area School District, Wellsboro Agriscience: Go Green for Veterinary and Environmental Science, $7,500
Venango and Clarion
The Pennsylvania State University, Understanding and building ag careers through technology, $7,500
Washington
California Area School District, Bee the Change: Advancing Biology Education Through Queen Bee Rearing, $7,500
California Academy of Learning Charter School, Growing Futures: Equipping Our Greenhouse for Hands-On Learning and Sustainability, $7,324
Trinity Area School District, 24-25 Youth Direct Ag Grant, $7,500
Learn more about opportunities in agriculture at agriculture.pa.gov/kidsarethefuture.
Find a map of previous grant recipients and details of other PA Farm Bill grants and initiatives to grow and sustain Pennsylvania agriculture at agriculture.pa.gov/pafarmbill.
Photos and video of the event are at PAcast.com.
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