02/23/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/23/2024 13:55
02/23/2024
Celebrates Shapiro Administration Investments in Growing Strength of Pennsylvania's Forest Products Industry
Harrisburg, PA -Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding kicked off Pennsylvania's maple tapping-season at Dewy Meadows Farm in Warren Center, Bradford County, celebrating Pennsylvania's maple syrup industry alongside the Pennsylvania Maple Producers Council and Pennsylvania Hardwoods Development Council.
Governor Josh Shapiro's2024-25 budget feeds growth in Pennsylvania agriculture, including the state's $39 billion forest products industry, through smart investments in economic development, job creation, and innovation. The budget supports the state's maple producers and others in Pennsylvania's leading forest products industry through a $725,000 investment in thePA Hardwoods Development Council, as well as PA Farm Bill Specialty Crop Grants, Agriculture Promotion Grants, and research funding to provide tangible solutions to challenges facing the industry.
"Pennsylvania agriculture is a sweet business to be in," Sec. Redding said. "There's no better place to tell that story than on a family-run maple farm like Dewy Meadows. But what's even sweeter is having a governor like Josh Shapiro, who recognizes how central it is to a bright, promising future for families and communities across our Commonwealth, and how critical it is to invest in our future together."
Pennsylvania is the nation's 5th largest producer of pure maple syrup, producing nearly 200,000 gallons per year worth $5.4 million. Dewy Meadows Maple, a Pennsylvania Century Farm, has been passed down through generations of the Andrew and Sally Dewing family, who have made maple syrup and sugar there for more than a century.
Supporting the future of Pennsylvania agriculture on farmland, in forests, and in communities throughout the state, Governor Shapiro's budget and new economic development strategy recognize agriculture as a critical economic driver. To continue Pennsylvania's national legacy as an agriculture leader, the 2024-25 budget proposes investing:
You can read Governor Shapiro'sfull budget in brief hereOpens In A New Window.
The Governor's full Economic Development Strategy is available at PAGetsItDone.comOpens In A New Window.
MEDIA CONTACT: Shannon Powers, [email protected], 717.603.2056
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