FarmerJawn is expanding their agriculture access vision into Chester County
After bringing their vision to Cheltenham, FarmerJawn sees an opportunity for more organic food access and Black farmers at Westtown School.
2 years ago
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding (right) looks at a piece of harvesting equipment with Jason Forrester of Forrester Farm Equipment in Chambersburg, Pa. Redding was giving a tour at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex on Monday, December 30, 2019. (Rachel McDevitt/WITF)
The 2020 Pennsylvania Farm Show kicks off this weekend.
The theme for the show is “Imagine the Opportunities.”
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding on Monday recruited a duckling that he’d named Opportunity to help give a tour of the upcoming farm show.
They highlighted farmers working in organic poultry, industrial hemp, and soil conservation.
Redding said people are increasingly interested in how their food is grown and where it comes from.
He said the show gives farmers a platform to answer those questions.
“And that’s where this intersection between producer and consumer meet and we want to tell that story and use the full eight days that we have to tell the great story of agriculture in Pennsylvania,” Redding said.
About 585,000 Pennsylvanians work in agriculture, but only half those jobs are directly tied to the farm.
Redding said he hopes the show will help young people see what job opportunities exist in the industry, from life on the farm to careers in distribution and technology.
“Most of us think about — when we say agriculture — we think of the farmer, right?” Redding said. “We don’t think about all of those other related positions and opportunities and I think that’s the piece that we want to sort of highlight.”
The event runs from Saturday, Jan. 4th to Saturday, Jan. 11th at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg.