(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

As State Senator Judy Schwank described it: “It truly is amazing that we have something that no one else in the country has.”

That “something” is the 2019 Farm Bill that has been in ink for Pennsylvania farmers for five years, and on Wednesday–concurrent with the Annual Farm Show nearby–the Senate and House Agriculture and Rural Affairs committees met with several local farmers and Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding to discuss the impacts that the Farm Bill has had not just on agriculture, but other parts of everyday life such as education.

The hearing was led by Senate committee leaders, Majority Chair Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr. (R-47) of Beaver County and the aforementioned Democratic Chair Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11), along with House committee leaders Majority Chair Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski (D-121) and Republican Chair Rep. Dan Moul (R-91).

“Today’s hearing was incredibly productive as we witnessed the immense impact of the PA Farm Bill since its inception in 2019,” Vogel stated. “Many of the grants that were instituted through this bill have allowed for farmers and agricultural organizations to expand their practices, acquire needed equipment, and better educate those involved in their day-to-day business. This feedback will allow for us to formulate future legislation that will build on the foundations we began with as well as provide improvements that were brought to our attention today.”

The focus now shifts to establishing a newer–and possibly bigger–farm bill in 2024, which Secretary Redding hinted at during the committee session. “The beauty of the Farm Bill is that you can add to it,” he said, “you can put an emphasis on different places if you want to.” Redding said that the new bill would focus on dairy farms and vitality grants.

The full session can be watched by clicking here.