Governor Tom Wolf announced today Pennsylvania is receiving more than $900 million for 19 projects that will create new revenue streams and support for Pennsylvania farmers using climate-smart practices. These 19 Pennsylvania projects were among 70 selected nationwide, investing $2.8 billion in the first of two rounds of Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding.

“Agriculture bears the brunt of the impact of climate change, from extreme weather to an environment that is more inviting to invasive pests, plants and disease,” Gov. Wolf said. “My administration has provided unprecedented support for the industry that feeds and sustains us – as seen through the PA Farm Bill and Clean Streams Fund – and I am pleased that our efforts will be multiplied exponentially with federal support. Farmers cannot tackle climate change alone.”

These initial projects will expand markets for climate-smart commodities, leverage the greenhouse gas benefits of climate-smart commodity production and provide direct, meaningful benefits to production agriculture, including for small and underserved producers. Projects funded aim to:

    Provide technical and financial assistance for putting climate-smart practices in place;

    Develop innovative and cost-effective methods for monitoring, reporting and verifying greenhouse gas benefits; and

    Develop markets and promote the benefits of commodities grown using climate-smart practices.

Pennsylvania-based partners in funded projects include Cargill, Hershey Foods, Land O’Lakes, Danone North America, Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence, Rodale Institute, Pennsylvania State University, PASA Sustainable Agriculture, Stroud Water Research Center, TeamAg, and Red Barn Consulting.

Lead partners of the 19 projects based in Pennsylvania or involving PA-based partners include:

Wolfe’s Neck Farm Foundation, Inc., $35,000,000
Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools, $25,000,000
Truterra, LLC, $90,000,000
Pennsylvania State University, $25,000,000
PASA Sustainable Agriculture, $55,000,000
Farm Journal, Inc., $40,000,000
American Forest Foundation, $35,000,000
The Nature Conservancy, $60,000,000
National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, $95,000,000
The DeLong Co., Inc., $40,000,000
Low Carbon Beef, LLC, $10,000,000
Rodale Institute, $25,000,000
American Farmland Trust, $30,000,000
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., $45,000,000
National Association of Conservation Districts, $90,000,000
Field to Market, $70,000,000
American Sustainable Business Institute, Inc., $35,000,000
The Conservation Innovation Fund, $25,000,000
Carbon A List, LLC, $70,000,000

These new federal dollars will further multiply Gov. Wolf’s conservation investments in his final budget that invest $220 million total in the new Clean Streams Fund, including $154 million to fund the new Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program supporting farmers’ efforts to reduce water pollution and improve soil quality, and $22 million to increase funding for the existing Nutrient Management Fund, which supports technical assistance to farms to reduce run-off.

A full listing of project descriptions and partners involved and an infographic illustrating project metrics can be found at USDA.gov