July 20, 2022
Help report locations with no internet access in Berks County!
Is your home or business (including farms) in a complete internet dead zone? You can use the Berks County Broadband Survey to report those locations. Here’s how:
  1. Go to a location where you get internet service, either on your phone, computer or at a library.
  2. Open the Broadband survey.
  3. Fill out the information until you reach the internet speed test. (Not all fields are required, if you’re not comfortable sharing all the info. The data requested helps match the project with potential funding.)
  4. Skip the internet speed test.
  5. Complete the survey. You’re done!
Thanks for taking a few minutes of your day to contribute to the improvement process for broadband coverage in Berks County! (This survey can also be used to report moderate or poor internet access. Just complete the survey and do the internet speed test.)
New state budget fully funds Pa. farm bill for a fourth...

A first-of-its-kind set of programs designed to support and invest in Pennsylvania's $132.5 billion agriculture industry has been fully funded for the fourth time, state agriculture officials said this week. The budget, which was by Democratic...

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www.penncapital-star.com
New Pennsylvania Laws Will Head Off Nutrient Runoff

Pennsylvania farmers and other fertilizer users have new tools to control runoff thanks to recently enacted legislation. The state budget, which Gov. Tom Wolf signed July 8, creates a $220 million Clean Streams Fund. Of that, $154 million will...

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www.lancasterfarming.com
New Pa. budget includes $140M boost to state's Property...

Inflation is causing price hikes all around Pennsylvania, but the new state budget is looking to ease one cost for the elderly and people living with disabilities. The $45.2 billion state budget that Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law last week,...

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www.penncapital-star.com
The Tax Impacts of Pennsylvania's 2022-23 Budget | RKL LLP

A few days late but a few dollars ($1.5 billion) higher than Governor Wolf's proposal, Pennsylvania has passed its budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year. Beyond simply allowing the state to continue to pay its bills, the annual budget legislation is ...

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www.rklcpa.com
Pennsylvania's Last Avian Influenza Control Area Released

Pennsylvania's last control area from the spring avian influenza outbreak was lifted July 14. Nan Hanshaw, chief of the Animal Health Division at the state Department of Agriculture, announced the move in an email to poultry industry...

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www.lancasterfarming.com
Be Included in the GROW TOGETHER Farm Listing
Did we forget to include your Berks County farm in our GROW TOGETHER farm listing? Let us know by submitting your farms information.
Redding Plans Quick Rollout of Avian Influenza Aid

Pennsylvania's poultry industry will receive $25 million in state funding to recover from avian influenza, and Ag Secretary Russell Redding can't wait to get the aid flowing. "We feel some sense of urgency now to get this done," Redding said...

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www.lancasterfarming.com
Pennsylvania legislature approves a new home repair...

Pennsylvanians will soon be able to get state assistance to pay for home repairs, thanks to a new program that lawmakers passed Friday as part of the state budget. The program represents an unusual victory for progressive Democrats, and is a rare ...

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www.witf.org
Ag Spanish Basics for Poultry
Are you involved in the poultry industry and would like to learn basic Spanish for poultry? The Center for Poultry and Livestock Excellence has partnered with AgvoKate for an 8-week (16 classes) online course beginning in September tailored specifically to the PA poultry industries. It is made up of the following:

1) Live but recorded classes so students can tune in when convenient for them
2) Two, one-hour live (and recorded) classes per week
3) Classes are interactive with in-class work and participation
4) Homework is assigned for reinforcement of the material
5) Registered students have 24/7 access to a password-protected site where all materials and recordings are hosted
6) Instructor is available for additional help throughout the courses
7) Culture lessons and Cultural Awareness is woven throughout the courses 8) Students will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course after the final assessment is submitted
 
The Beginners Course is an introduction to the basics of the Spanish language, with a focus on vocabulary tailored specifically to the poultry industries. Students will learn the basics of reading, writing, and conversing in the Spanish language in the present tense and are able to form simple sentences by week three.
 
This course is for anyone within the poultry industry including but not limited to producers, veterinarians, industry representatives, plant workers, etc. 
 
The cost to participate is being covered by a grant awarded from the Center for Poultry and Livestock Excellence. The class will be limited to 50 people with registration opening on August 17th. The classes will begin on September 27 and conclude November 17th. Class will be every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST. Details and a link to sign up will be included in next month’s newsletter. Stay tuned!
 
The Center for Poultry and Livestock Excellence will be partnering with AgvoKate for a class tailored to PA Swine Industry in early 2023.
Retail Farm Market Peer Exchange: Plum Creek Farm Market ...

Attendees will converse with retail farm market owners and each other in an exchange of knowledge and experiences during this in-person event.

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extension.psu.edu
Twilight At-Market: Weaver's Orchard

Learn from a local farm market how their orchard and retail businesses are successful!

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extension.psu.edu
Flower Trials Field Day

08:00 am Refreshments include coffee and doughnuts Registration and Refreshments 08:30 am Welcome and Opening Remarks Sinclair Adam, Extension Educator, Flower Trials Garden Director Andy Brown, Floriculture Board Director, Ball Horticulture...

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extension.psu.edu
Pasture Walk with Extension

Join Penn State Extension for a pasture walk and learn about pasture management, soil evaluation, and more!

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extension.psu.edu
Animal Science Apprenticeship Program Kickoff for...

Animal Science Apprenticeship Program Kickoff for Employers will include a review of the Animal Science Apprenticeship Program (ASAP) on-campus technical training, a meeting with ASAP advisory board members, information about ASAP program requirement

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web.cvent.com
Dairy Twilight Tour and Ag Safety Event

Penn State Extension Dairy Team welcomes you to attend our upcoming Open House and Twilight Tours. At these events you will be able to enjoy the fellowship of friends and neighbors, learn about the host farm operations, and enjoy an ice cream social.

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extension.psu.edu
Don't Miss the 2022 Fairs
  • Kutztown Fair | Aug. 8 - Aug. 13
  • Oley Valley Community Fair | Sept. 15 - Sept. 17
BARNopoly! 2022
Travel around Berks County this summer to discover and support small farms and other ag-related businesses from Monday, June 20 to Saturday, August 20. Collect stamps on your physical game board at as many participating locations as possible for the chance of winning some great prizes.Visit berksag.org/barnopoly to register and for more info.
SAVE THE DATE! Sept 13-15: Poultry Sales and Service Conference in State College, PA.
Registration coming soon! The 2022 Pennsylvania Poultry Sales and Service Conference - and - 94th Annual Northeastern Conference on Avian Diseases is a two-day annual conference that touches on general topics important in the industry today, along with a NECAD session and breakout sessions for broilers, layers, and turkeys.
Penn State Extension - Topics of Interest
This is a friendly reminder that you can subscribe to receive updates on topics of interest to you at the frequency you choose from Penn State Extension.
Archived Newsletter and Grow Together Blog
Did you know we archive all of the newsletters?
The Grow Together blog features seasonal topics!
A cooperative effort between
the GRCA and the Berks County Department of Agriculture
through the support of the Berks County Commissioners.
Questions?:
Contact Tami Hildebrand at thildebrand@countyofberks.com 
or 484-818-0845.