PA On-Farm Conservation Efforts the Focus of Legislative Discussion During Ag Progress Days

HARRISBURG - Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr. (R-47) and Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski (D-121), majority chairs of the Senate and House Agriculture and Rural Affairs committees, lead discussions surrounding on-farm conservation efforts in Pennsylvania during an informational hearing held during this week's Ag Progress Days hosted by Penn State University.

"Conservation partnerships are crucial to protecting our natural resources and preserving Pennsylvania's agricultural heritage," said Vogel. "The collaboration of public and private entities to advance agricultural conservation is a prime example of how farmers in the Commonwealth are at the forefront of efforts to protect the environment, feed the world and ensure agricultural practices live on for years to come."

"Ag Progress Days is one of the premiere events in Agriculture, making it a perfect place to discuss the important role the industry plays in promoting conservation in PA," Pashinski said. "Pennsylvania's farmers have a long tradition of stewardship, and today we discussed how public and private partnerships implementing conservation practices are enhancing that tradition-ensuring the health of our soil, the purity of our water, and the sustainability of our farms and environment for generations to come."

Among the testifiers, was Brett Reinford, a partner in Reinford Farms and member of the Land O'Lakes cooperative network. Reinford highlighted the dual roles his farm plays in not only supplying quality products to a rapidly growing world but actively being environmentally conscious and promoting sustainability.

"In 2008, my family embarked on a sustainability journey to address food waste and manure management on our farm," stated Reinford. "With significant investment, we installed an anaerobic digester on our farm that addresses food waste, manure management, water quality, and produces a renewable source of energy. We are not only disposing of food waste, but we have an environmentally friendly solution that turns it into renewable energy. Now, with the help of the Sustainable PA initiative, we are installing manure storage technologies on our farm that will improve water quality outcomes from our farm."

Reinford Farms is a multigenerational family dairy farm in Juniata County which encompasses 1,300 acres and houses 750 milking cows and 800 young cattle.

Other hearing testifiers included Adam Ortiz, Environmental Protection Agency Region 3 Administrator; Natalie Krak, The Hershey Company; Jenna Beckett, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay; Doug Wolfgang, State Conservation Commission; and Denise Coleman, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service.

The full hearing can be viewed here.

Further addressing and encouraging conservation efforts amid Pennsylvania farmers, the General Assembly dedicated $10 million, through the 2024-25 state budget, to the new Agriculture Innovation and Development Program which is focused on providing farmers and agribusinesses with the resources to adopt new technological practices.

As for Ag Progress Days, Penn State has been hosting this event at the Rock Springs site since 1976 and this year celebrates 48 years of showcasing the various aspects of Pennsylvania's agriculture industry as well as the most recent agricultural break throughs. It remains one of the top agricultural events in the commonwealth and is one of only three agricultural exhibitions in the country sponsored by a major university.

Vogel added, "As a farmer I can speak directly to the importance of Ag Progress Days and the value it has to producers, industry professionals and the public alike. From seminars and demonstrations to equipment showcases and networking opportunities there is so much to see and do every year. This is an event I look forward to each summer as there is truly no better place to run into old friends and learn about the latest happenings within the industry."

CONTACT:Abby Chiumento, 717-787-3076 (Vogel)
William Hughes, 717-772-2999 (Pashinski)

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