State officials highlighted some of the successes and hardships facing the agricultural community during a discussion in Berks County.
“It’s always a pleasure being in Berks County,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding told a crowd gathered at the informational meeting Friday at Penn State Berks University. “I appreciate what you do and am impressed by how you do it.”
The informational meeting was organized by state Sen. Judy Schwank with attendees encouraged to share their thoughts and concerns.
The Wyomissing Democrat, who serves as minority chairwoman of the Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee, said the mission of the event was to give members of the community a chance to discuss some of the issues local producers are facing.
State Sen. Judy Schwank welcomes state and local agricultural leaders during an agriculture update event in the Janssen Conference Center at the Penn State Berks campus on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026.(BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
The bright spots
Redding said one of the best things to ever happen to the dairy farm industry was the recent announcement that Chobani will invest $1.2 billion and create 900 jobs in neighboring Lehigh County.
It is the largest private agricultural investment in state history.
Redding said he was told part of the reason the yogurt maker chose to invest in the Lehigh Valley was due to the economic development plan for the site and its positive impression of the state’s dairy farmers.
“This is a huge opportunity for us,” he said.
When fully operational, the facility is expected to process more than 3 billion pounds of Pennsylvania milk annually — equivalent to about 30% of all milk currently produced in the state. Annual output is expected to rise from 9.7 billion pounds to nearly 13 billion.
To help farmers meet that new demand, Redding said the state will continue to drive out $127 million in loans and grants available directly to eligible Pennsylvania dairy farmers. That includes help in increasing cattle herds and building new facilities.
“We want to ensure that dairy farms of all sizes are able to be part of this expansion,” he said. “We are going to continue to look for ways to keep improving efficiency so that we are able to meet this demand.”
Redding said another bright spot for the industry was the rapid creation of a new Fruit Grower Freeze Disaster Assistance Recovery Grant Program to respond to the devastating April freeze that destroyed crops.
Growers reported their worst losses in several generations due to the freeze, with many reporting a near 100% crop loss in apples, and serious impacts to peach, cherry, strawberry and grape yields.
The grant program was created with a $10 million investment secured by Gov. Josh Shapiro, making the commonwealth the only state in the region with dedicated funding to support fruit growers impacted by the freeze.
“We are committed to helping fruit growers recover from one of the most damaging spring freezes in recent memory,” he said. “We recognized the urgent need to support an industry that is vital to our economy and our communities.”
From left, state Sen. Judy Schwank, state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and state veterinarian Dr. Alex Hamberg prepare to answer questions during an agriculture update event in the Janssen Conference Center at the Penn State Berks campus on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026.(BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
The challenges
Redding acknowledged the industry is also facing massive challenges.
Among those challenges he cited were President Donald Trump’s decision to increase foreign beef imports, record-high diesel prices and trade tariffs driving up equipment and fertilizer costs while triggering retaliatory foreign duties that slash overseas crop sales.
“These are policy decisions being made at the federal level that we can do very little about at the state level,” he said. “But we are going to keep advocating and pressing our congressional leaders to really think about what they are doing.”
Redding said he takes seriously his responsibility to serve as a champion for the $132.5 billion agricultural industry in Pennsylvania.
“We are staying focused on communicating how harmful these developments have been for our producers,” he said.
State Sen. Judy Schwank invites questions for state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, middle, and state veterinarian Dr. Alex Hamberg during an agriculture update event in the Janssen Conference Center at the Penn State Berks campus on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026.(BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)