State and local leaders were in Allegheny County earlier this week honoring veterans who have undertaken farming as their next profession.
PA Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding was at a veteran-owned farm in Moon Township, which he says is a growing community.
“We have in the last couple of years really come to appreciate the incredible resource we have in Pennsylvania with our veteran farming community,” Redding said. “We are home to around 7,000 that have served our nation in some way according to the last U.S. Department of Agriculture census.”
Officials also touted a grant program part of the PA Farm Bill that sets aside $200,000 to go toward veteran-run farms. Executive Director of the Community Partnership in Butler Sandra Curry says this program can do a world of good.
“We are very excited to partner with the Department of Agriculture on this grant program. We recognize the strong connection between military service on rural life, and increasingly urban life,” Curry said.
The Department of Agriculture continued to ask state residents to support local farms by visiting the PA Preferred website, to see where they can buy local products.
