The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy within the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
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The Center works with the legislature, educators, state and federal executive branch agencies, and national, statewide, regional and local organizations to maximize resources and strategies that can better serve Pennsylvania's 3.4 million rural residents.
Operating as usual
01/12/2021
Excited to introduce our new logo! After more than two decades with the same logo, we thought it was time to change our look to provide a simpler, more distinctive representation of the Center’s work for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. You’ll see our new logo here and in our print and other online communications. As with our former logo, we hope you'll soon come to recognize this logo as a sign of our work to provide valuable policy research and data about rural Pennsylvania.
Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Agriculture announced today a new opportunity for Pennsylvanians to bring the Pennsylvania Farm Show into their homes, by inviting them to craft their own butter sculpture creations and enter them into the Butter Up! Contest for a chance to win one of a variet...
💰💰RURAL RELIEF SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS AVAILABLE, DEADLINE IS JAN. 5.
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is inviting small businesses in rural locations nationwide to apply for the LISC-Lowe’s Rural Relief Small Business Grants program. Rural communities are defined as having a population of 50,000 or fewer. A community is defined as the city/town/village where your business address is located. If the business is mobile (a food truck, fishing boat, ride share driver, etc.) please use the address where your vehicle is stored during non-business hours. Applications must be submitted by January 5, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. Here's the link for more info: https://www.lisc.org/covid-19/small-business-assistance/rural-relief-small-business-grants/
LISC forges resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across America – great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families.
The Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation Program ended the year by preserving 2,710 acres on 32 farms in 17 counties. 🚜
In 2020, we’ve watched farmers and consumers bridge the gap from farm to table more than ever before. 🍽️ Producers and households across the commonwealth were able to depend on each other for certainty because the Farmland Preservation Program made it possible.
Not only do these impressive strides preserve farmland, it preserves the future of agriculture, food security, a healthier economy, and a way of life Pennsylvanian’s will cherish for generations to come. 🌾
Master Watershed Steward Program Accepting Applications for 2021
The Master Watershed Steward program is seeking individuals who enjoy learning, have the desire and time to volunteer and appreciate working with others to improve their local watershed.
Today's the day! Help Pennsylvania Farm Link get a little extra 💲💲 to continue linking farmers to the future ☀️
PA Farm Link EXTRA Ordinary GIVE Campaign
Show you support! On November 20th PA Farm Link will be participating in the Lancaster County Community Foundation EXTRA Ordinary GIVE Day campaign. This amazing day of generosity and support is a day to highlight organizations serving Lancaster County, of which PA Farm Link does by “Linking Farmers to the Future”. It's a day also to help organizations raise funds needed to continue their work.
PA Farm Link provides resources for farm families looking to transition their farm to the next generation of farmers. Offering Farm Succession/Transition facilitation and resources, as well as providing an online database of farmers and those looking for land to farm is the focus of PA Farm Link.
PA Farm Link is a 501 C3 non-profit organization. Like many others in 2020, our organization has been working remotely in efforts to continue our support of farm businesses in Pennsylvania. Like many others, our organization continues to need support of outside donors to keep resources and expertise flowing to the farm families needing assistance.
Donations to PA Farm Link can be made at any time through our website, www.pafarmlink.org. However on November 20th if you donate through the EXTRA Ordinary GIVE Day campaign, each donation made will be “stretched”. Through the generosity of Rodgers & Associates High Foundation and EXTRA Ordinary GIVE Day sponsors, a half of a million dollars will be distributed to organizations like PA Farm Link, participating in the EXTRA Ordinary GIVE Day campaign.
The staff at PA Farm Link are actively farming now or have in the recent past. The staff understand the importance of providing resources to Pennsylvania farm families in efforts to keep land in agricultural production through to the next generation. If you would like to donate to PA Farm Link through the EXTRA Ordinary GIVE Day on November 20th, log onto this website: https://www.extragive.org/ and search for PA Farm Link.
As always our organization is grateful for our donors – for those who feel the importance of helping Pennsylvania farm families transition land to the next generation of farmers who will feed those in our communities.
Surviving & Thriving THE POWER OF RURAL IS 100% COMMUNITY Shouldn’t residents in every rural county have what is required to survive and thrive? .tp-caption.Fashion-BigDisplay,.Fashion-BigDisplay{color:rgba(0,0,0,1.00);font-size:60px;line-height:60px;font-weight:900;font-style:normal;font-family:R...
National Rural Health Day is November 19! Celebrate #PowerofRural www.powerofrural.org
Tomorrow (11/19) is National Rural Health Day, and there are lots of learning opportunities being held to mark the occasion. Check out the roundup at the National Rural Health Day website: https://www.powerofrural.org/
11/17/2020
Pennsylvania Farm Show
🎶 LET THE SINGING BEGIN 🎶
Are you interested in singing the National Anthem as part of the 105th #PAFarmShow? The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture will select a different individual or group (members of the same household, please!) to perform the National Anthem at the beginning of each day of the 105th Pennsylvania Farm Show. If your group doesn't live together, we want to see you getting clever with zoom, with a compilation video, or with another distanced idea.
This year's Farm Show is going to be different, and so will our contest! We want to see the most creative video submissions to be broadcast at the open of each day, highlighting your talent as well as your corner of Pennsylvania.
Get creative, PA! Do you spend your morning singing to cattle? Pass the time on the tractor serenading your crops? Has your choir been practicing over zoom? We want to see it! Show us your surroundings and your skill. Originality will score big points in this competition! We don't need flashy editing or special effects – just your beautiful voices and interesting surroundings!
Things to remember:
⭐ Rules: https://bit.ly/PAFSAnthem
⭐ Accepting entries November 16 – December 7
⭐ Open to all ages
⭐ Individuals and groups welcome, but groups must live together or be socially distanced
⭐ Must sing the entire song from start to finish without musical accompaniment
⭐ Entries must be new recordings, created for this contest
Celebrate #PowerofRural during Rural Health Week by watching the featured film, The Providers!
Set against the backdrop of the physician shortage and opioid epidemic in rural America, The Providers follows three health care providers and their patients and shows the awe-inspiring courage, commitment, and tenacity that we know to be the real #PowerofRural. Register today to receive the access code. https://www.powerofrural.org/the-providers/
In Honor of National Rural Health Day Watch the Featured Film, The Providers The Providers Documentary Film will be made available for screening in honor of National Rural Health Day from November 1 – 21, 2020 by access code only. The Providers have also equipped viewers of the documentary with a ...
PA Downtown Center is hosting virtual workshops in December on Nature-Based Placemaking. Check it out.
Local Leadership Development & Business Enhancement & Development Regionally-Specific Virtual Workshops Pennsylvania Downtown Center (PDC) in partnership with Pennsylvania Department of Conservation
A blended logo but a simple message: Homegrown by Heroes is a program for PA Preferred® members who are veterans. The program allows veteran members to add the Homegrown by Heroes logo to their products so that consumers can easily identify it and support veteran-owned businesses. A program of the ...
11/12/2020
A great opportunity to help PA Farm Link continue its good work!
PA Farm Link EXTRA Ordinary GIVE Campaign
Show you support! On November 20th PA Farm Link will be participating in the Lancaster County Community Foundation EXTRA Ordinary GIVE Day campaign. This amazing day of generosity and support is a day to highlight organizations serving Lancaster County, of which PA Farm Link does by “Linking Farmers to the Future”. It's a day also to help organizations raise funds needed to continue their work.
PA Farm Link provides resources for farm families looking to transition their farm to the next generation of farmers. Offering Farm Succession/Transition facilitation and resources, as well as providing an online database of farmers and those looking for land to farm is the focus of PA Farm Link.
PA Farm Link is a 501 C3 non-profit organization. Like many others in 2020, our organization has been working remotely in efforts to continue our support of farm businesses in Pennsylvania. Like many others, our organization continues to need support of outside donors to keep resources and expertise flowing to the farm families needing assistance.
Donations to PA Farm Link can be made at any time through our website, www.pafarmlink.org. However on November 20th if you donate through the EXTRA Ordinary GIVE Day campaign, each donation made will be “stretched”. Through the generosity of Rodgers & Associates High Foundation and EXTRA Ordinary GIVE Day sponsors, a half of a million dollars will be distributed to organizations like PA Farm Link, participating in the EXTRA Ordinary GIVE Day campaign.
The staff at PA Farm Link are actively farming now or have in the recent past. The staff understand the importance of providing resources to Pennsylvania farm families in efforts to keep land in agricultural production through to the next generation. If you would like to donate to PA Farm Link through the EXTRA Ordinary GIVE Day on November 20th, log onto this website: https://www.extragive.org/ and search for PA Farm Link.
As always our organization is grateful for our donors – for those who feel the importance of helping Pennsylvania farm families transition land to the next generation of farmers who will feed those in our communities.
Next Rural Community Action Assembly: Outdoor and Small-Town Tourism, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development, set for November 19, 9:30 a.m.–12:00 noon. Intro remarks from Center Director Dr. Kyle Kopko
Celebrate #GreatPumpkinWeek with the The State Museum of Pennsylvania
There are about 3,000 species of spiders found in the United States, and some of them live in your house. While not soft and fuzzy, spiders are beneficial animals that feed on a variety of insects that humans consider pests. So whether you see them or not, there are spiders in your house. Spiders enter homes through cracks, holes around piping, and even arrive inside boxes or on firewood. But before you squish a spider, remember that spiders are predators, so if a #spider is in your house, then what they are hunting is in your house too! #GreatPumpkinWeek🎃 #Halloween #InYourHouse 🕷
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Heads up, we need help supporting SB820 (PA Senate Bill 820) Limited liability for farmers having the public on their farm for corn mazes, pick your own, farmstays, farm markets, agritourism. Bill is in committee, meeting with negative feedback. Call your Senator and voice your support for agritourism limited liability. Ohio farmers have been supported since Aug. 2016 and 25 other states have passed similar bills. What about PA farmers that market to the public on their farms ? Please contact your Senator and make sure PA farmers have coverage too.
Thank you