To help celebrate dairy across Pennsylvania this summer – especially during June Dairy Month and Ice Cream Month in July – share your story with your community! Take a look at the following resources:

• Request free “Choose PA Dairy” garden flags to display at the end of your lane or in a flower bed while supplies last.
• Request free posters and rack cards with “Choose PA Dairy” and “Farming for You” messages while supplies last.

Lindsey said the dry soil beneath her feet in Hereford Township offers a welcome change from wetter Oley Valley property the couple had leased for the first 11 seasons of operating their business, Root Mass Farm.

Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding calls for applications for $500,000 in PA Farm Bill-funded grants aimed at increasing locally produced meat and poultry in the state. Very Small Meat and Poultry Processor Reimbursement Grants help small businesses start up or expand and meet USDA food safety requirements.

If you are a local official or resident of Berks County, contact the USDA NRCS PA State Technical committee and lobby for continued funding for Berks County.

For the 20th time since 1933, Congress is writing a multiyear farm bill that will shape what kind of food U.S. farmers grow, how they raise it and how it gets to consumers. These measures are large, complex and expensive: The next farm bill is projected to cost taxpayers US$1.5 trillion over 10 years.

In partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Berks County Conservation District has kicked off the 2023 tick and mosquito surveillance season. While most insects provide beneficial effects, such as being part of the food web or acting as pollinators for plants, ticks and mosquitoes can become a biting nuisance or more importantly transmit diseases that can make you sick.

The non-profit Soil Health Academy has published detailed case studies examining the operational, production and profitability details of five regenerative farming and ranching operations across the country, SHA President Dawn Breitkreutz announced today.

Through careful crossbreeding and selection, University of Maryland researchers have developed what may just be the perfect apples for American growers trying to adapt to a changing world. The two new apples, a yellow and a red one are heat-tolerant, blight-tolerant, low-maintenance, easy to harvest and not least, delicious-tasting.

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Foundation celebrates being selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish the USDA Northeast Regional Food Business Center. The food business center will help farmers, ranchers and other food businesses access new markets and navigate federal, state and local resources, thereby closing the gaps to success.

Whether you’re looking for local gift ideas, tips and recipes to use in your own home, or Berks County farm news, you can find it all on our blog and more. There’s something for everyone to read and enjoy.

Join us on May 17 at 1:00 p.m. for College Connections, a monthly webinar series moderated by Dean Rick Roush to give you a unique, inside perspective of the programs, people, and partnerships of the Penn State College of Ag Sciences. 

The Sojourn is an annual 112-mile guided canoe/kayak trip on the Schuylkill River that begins in rural Schuylkill Haven and ends seven days later at Philadelphia’s Boathouse Row. Participants paddle 14-18 miles per day. Register for one day, any amount of individual days, or the entire week-long journey.

​The Boyertown Farmers Market will return this summer for its third season on the first and third Thursday evening of each month. The market will run June through September, featuring small local growers, producers, and artisans in the parking lot of the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles.

Fresh vegetables, fruit, and local goods - all available at the Penn Street Market in Downtown Reading located at 638 Penn Street. The 2023 season starts on Thursday, June 1 and continues every Thursday through September 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.