State officials visited a Berks County farm this week to highlight investments aimed at supporting women in agriculture during Women\u2019s History Month and the United Nations\u2019 International Year of the Woman Farmer.<\/p>\n
Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and State Sen. Judy Schwank, minority chair of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, visited Willow Run Farmstead to recognize the role women play in the state\u2019s agriculture industry and to spotlight programs designed to help farms remain sustainable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWomen have long been leaders in Pennsylvania agriculture \u2014 managing farms, making key business decisions, and shaping the future of our industry,\u201d Redding said. \u201cInvestments like the Farm Vitality Grant Program help farm families plan for the future and ensure the next generation of producers has the support they need to keep Pennsylvania agriculture strong.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the visit, officials highlighted the Pennsylvania Farm Vitality Grant Program, which provides funding for professional planning services such as business planning, diversification, and farm transition planning. The program connects farmers with technical experts to help farm families navigate complex decisions and build long-term sustainability.<\/p>\n
Willow Run Farmstead owner Deanne Weber used a $7,296 Farm Vitality Grant to help support the transition of the third-generation preserved farm into her ownership. The farm raises beef for direct-to-consumer sales and incorporates sustainability and conservation practices.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a beginning woman farmer, county, state, and federal programs were essential in helping me get my operation off the ground,\u201d Weber said. \u201cThe grants I received provided critical early financial support, and the experienced professionals I worked with offered guidance that was just as valuable as the funding itself. As I gain experience farming, I continue to look for ways I can give back to my community, supporting other women farmers and making space for connection, mentorship, and the kind of knowledge-sharing that strengthens us all.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, women represent a growing share of the state\u2019s agricultural workforce. About 31,135 women are involved in agriculture across Pennsylvania, accounting for roughly 35% of agricultural producers.<\/p>\n
State officials said women play key roles in farm management and decision-making, with nearly 80% involved in day-to-day farm management decisions. More than 26,000 women serve as operators who live on the farms they manage, while 1,282 serve as hired farm managers. Additionally, more than 4,200 women involved in agriculture are under age 35.<\/p>\n
\u201cPennsylvania\u2019s women farmers are innovators, entrepreneurs, and stewards of our land,\u201d Schwank said. \u201cAs we celebrate International Women\u2019s Day and the International Year of the Woman Farmer, it\u2019s important that we continue supporting policies and programs that help women succeed in agriculture and ensure the long-term strength of our rural communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
State officials said education and workforce programs are also helping support the next generation of women in agriculture. At Penn State University\u2019s College of Agricultural Sciences, two-thirds of students are women, and organizations such as Pasa Sustainable Agriculture provide apprenticeship programs that offer hands-on training in sustainable farming practices.<\/p>\n
\u201cWomen farmers are playing a critical role in building resilient farms and food systems across Pennsylvania,\u201d said Hannah Kinney Smith, executive director of Pasa Sustainable Agriculture. \u201cSupporting farmers through education, mentorship, collaboration, and smart public investments helps ensure that women entering agriculture today have the tools, resources, and opportunities to succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Shapiro Administration said its agricultural initiatives include investments through the PA Farm Bill, workforce training and career education programs, urban agriculture grants, and efforts to address food insecurity and workforce shortages.<\/p>\n
Officials also noted that the Governor\u2019s Advisory Commission on Women is currently collecting feedback through a digital survey as part of its upcoming State of the Woman Report, which aims to assess the status of women across Pennsylvania and help guide future policy decisions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"State officials visited a Berks County farm this week to highlight investments aimed at supporting women in agriculture…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":134141,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[128,130,129],"class_list":["post-134140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134140"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134140\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/134141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}