00:01 - Good afternoon and welcome to our afternoon

00:05 - session of budget hearings.

00:08 - We are joined

00:10 - today this afternoon

00:12 - by the department of agriculture

00:15 - and so we're so grateful to our friends at ag.

00:19 - For being here with us this

00:21 - afternoon before I begin chairman druzy any introductory yes

00:25 - mr chairman good afternoon secretary reading.

00:28 - So just to

00:29 - give an overview for people who are listening and watching how the the governor is

00:33 - proposing a total general fund spending amount of two hundred and forty nine point

00:37 - nine million for this upcoming fiscal year

00:39 - which is an overall decrease of three point four million

00:43 - or about one point four percent

00:45 - compared with the current fiscal year but apparently some of that is due to some

00:48 - shifting from the horse race development fun so

00:51 - if you can maybe touch on what that means so people

00:53 - can understand when we go through the the hearing

00:55 - and we're very short on time

00:57 - I just want to emphasize that last year we had a lot of

00:59 - different discussions about transparency with Grant funding

01:02 - and

01:03 - different discussions related to how we're training veterinarians in this

01:07 - commonwealth and I don't see a whole a lot of that in this this budget as far as the

01:10 - changes that were proposed last year so I think

01:12 - that's probably a good thing

01:14 - and then I just want to end by saying I think that both sides of the aisle have a

01:18 - tremendous respect for you secretary reading

01:20 - and the great work that you have done for our agricultural community and I know that

01:23 - we're facing a serious crisis now with the

01:26 - the I the avian flu that's upon us so I approached eight.

01:30 - Anything you can provide for us to give us more insight on that I know we'll get into

01:33 - that as far as the questions go but thank you

01:36 - thank German thinking

01:37 - we'll all have our testify or please stand so we can swear you were.

01:44 - Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you're

01:45 - about to give is the truth the whole truth

01:48 - so help you god.

01:51 - You may be seated.

01:53 - Just want

01:54 - to put this on the record.

01:56 - That my team was the winner.

02:00 - Of this year's cow milking contest at.

02:04 - The farm show now you may laugh you may laughs I know you're looking saying how does

02:11 - this Philadelphia know how to milk cows

02:14 - but apparently

02:16 - I do

02:17 - and I was the team captain this year

02:20 - and so I just wanted to put that on the record as we talk about agriculture.

02:25 - Right here

02:26 - blue ribbon baby

02:27 - rabbit

02:28 - for the cow milk imo

02:30 - one of my partners he's right one of my teammates right there

02:33 - you

02:33 - helped us win so I just wanted to put that out there

02:35 - for everybody to know are there we go

02:37 - secretary where there

02:39 - is always a pleasure

02:41 - to see you do you have any introductory comments

02:43 - where you want to just go straight in the question

02:44 - if I could offer a few a direct recommends first

02:47 - to just a note of congratulations thank you i.

02:49 - Appreciate your spirit love your

02:51 - interest in egg and really just sort of jump in and do those things that.

02:56 - Sometimes are not everyday activities but

02:59 - do a great job thank you absolutely

03:01 - chairman

03:02 - and chairman Jersey thank you

03:04 - as well for

03:05 - allowing us to some time today to distinguish members it's good to see you.

03:10 - Let me offer just a couple of comments it's always good to be before the committee

03:14 - certainly as we enter the fourth year of governorship years first term.

03:18 - Return on bipartisan forward looking.

03:21 - Investments is unmistakable.

03:24 - We lead the nation in farmland preservation we operate

03:27 - the nation's only agricultural innovation Grant

03:30 - we have agriculture is a cornerstone of the state's economic development strategy

03:34 - that's the first time in history

03:36 - that we maintain the largest network of

03:38 - conservation professionals volunteers in the country

03:41 - have the first

03:42 - state level farm bill in the nation.

03:45 - We are the top producer

03:46 - of hardwoods and.

03:48 - Rank among many many other.

03:51 - Top commodities as well

03:53 - we lead and beginning farmers are world

03:56 - renowned laboratory

03:57 - system is trusted consumer protection and

04:01 - expertise safeguards both public health and market integrity

04:04 - we establish the only.

04:06 - Nations only

04:08 - iPad even influenza recovery fund to stand

04:10 - with producers particularly this time of crisis

04:14 - or five centres of excellence are advancing research and workforce development

04:18 - or food assistance programs are strengthening

04:21 - of food security across the commonwealth

04:24 - and have become a blueprint for the nation

04:27 - to say that these accomplishments are

04:29 - powered by the people behind the food system.

04:32 - Whose work carries food

04:34 - certainly from the field

04:36 - to our tables we we want to

04:38 - call on them and just thank them today for that

04:41 - work that they do.

04:43 - But the impact goes beyond

04:45 - the economics

04:46 - it connects rural and urban Pennsylvania

04:48 - Bridges

04:49 - generations that reflects our shared values of hard work and stewardship

04:53 - and innovation

04:54 - in the governorship here has proposed budget builds on the momentum

04:58 - with a targeted responsible investments

05:01 - designed to protect us working

05:04 - to strengthen

05:04 - where we must grow.

05:06 - As we look ahead.

05:08 - Two.

05:10 - The work that needs to be done

05:12 - yet

05:12 - want to say thank you to the immediate team and the employees that aren't vegan culture

05:17 - are they amaze me everyday

05:18 - with their expertise their commitment and their skill.

05:22 - I also just want to give a shout out to

05:24 - my wife niner who was here whose

05:26 - impact on the is immeasurable

05:29 - and foundational to all that I do and the

05:31 - work that we've achieved together so thank you

05:33 - mr chairman.

05:36 - Good mare right there shut out his wife and

05:38 - marriage.

05:40 - We're going to start

05:41 - going to kind of

05:42 - go a little backwards

05:43 - but our chairman mao we won't start with you.

05:50 - Thank you mr chairman

05:51 - and.

05:52 - Thank you mr secretary deputy secretary your staff I appreciate very much.

05:58 - I also want to.

05:59 - Thank you guys for.

06:02 - Participating in that HP AI.

06:05 - Summit if you will roundtable yesterday in Lancaster county

06:09 - and I can't stress enough and I know you know this already

06:12 - what a crisis situation that is.

06:15 - I'm not here to necessarily talk about money I'm

06:18 - here because I'm the ag chairman of the house

06:21 - republican caucus

06:22 - and agriculture certainly does mean a

06:24 - awful lot to

06:25 - you and myself and our communities

06:28 - and when

06:29 - we talk about people

06:31 - in business

06:32 - in.

06:33 - An industry losing millions

06:36 - of birds.

06:38 - Millions of

06:38 - in this case chickens

06:40 - and the gentleman that was sitting right beside

06:42 - me mister sackler he was pretty straight forward

06:45 - with what he felt needed to be done to try to get at least some sort of a handle

06:49 - on a high path

06:51 - avian influenza outbreak that we once again find ourselves in

06:55 - and these guys are losing millions of dollars

06:58 - and holding their head above water

07:00 - I have to take the most successful purse then who I

07:03 - who I think is the most successful person in Pennsylvania

07:06 - in the poultry industry

07:07 - I have to take him

07:09 - pretty seriously when he speaks I listen I

07:11 - kind of like yeah fighting.

07:13 - He's he's got his act together or he wouldn't be the most successful at some of the

07:17 - things that he'd mentioned yesterday

07:19 - was about.

07:21 - Making sure everyone that in the industry

07:23 - follows the same set of rules and regulations

07:26 - as to how they treat their flocks all in all out.

07:31 - Disinfecting between flocks.

07:34 - Time tables things like that

07:37 - but if we don't have anyone in the industry or anyone in the agriculture

07:41 - department.

07:44 - To check up on nice.

07:47 - Everyone that's in this business

07:49 - it's gotta be hard to

07:50 - to hold on to those regulations.

07:54 - Should we be creating these regulations if we

07:56 - don't have them already a strict set of rules and

08:01 - how do we get the manpower in a department of

08:04 - agriculture to do the inspections when these flocks

08:07 - are moving

08:09 - to make sure that they are all following

08:10 - and yeah

08:11 - I know that's

08:13 - a loaded question but it's it's a serious

08:14 - one and since you brought it up I thought I'd

08:17 - I'd bring it out in public today.

08:20 - Schirmer thank you and it's a great question

08:22 - thank you for being there yesterday that was a convening

08:25 - with the governor really took to delve into.

08:28 - The industry concerns.

08:31 - Hear first hand from

08:32 - both the growers who have been impacted over the last

08:34 - couple of years but also to get the type of feedback that

08:37 - mr sackler and others provided

08:39 - to us

08:40 - what I appreciated about

08:42 - mister sector's comments were twofold one

08:45 - and you bring this up I think this issue of

08:48 - everybody has to be disciplined very very disciplined about

08:52 - the bio security that they that they do right and it can't be just a plan that's

08:57 - somebody within the organization of the farm sort of

09:00 - takes responsibility for so

09:01 - you need to have the bio security to enforce bio security

09:05 - to your questions then about how do you do that

09:08 - certainly.

09:09 - The second part of what Scott was suggesting is that there there are

09:12 - ramifications if you don't do certain things

09:15 - right and he had a list there of things that

09:18 - that he would propose that we we take action

09:20 - on

09:21 - I'm not sure that we could get that done but just because of the.

09:25 - Scale and complexity of all but

09:28 - you have to sit down and set forth responsibilities for bio security

09:32 - we believe

09:33 - that

09:33 - there there's a

09:34 - private

09:35 - public component to this where the industry has to also be

09:39 - the enforcer.

09:41 - They knew who these folks are they work with them all the time and

09:44 - when I say the industry that means not just

09:46 - the integrators the folks who service them.

09:49 - Certainly

09:50 - to your point I think there's also

09:52 - additional things that we can do

09:54 - right in terms of.

09:55 - The quarantine orders or regulations in the enforcement provisions

09:59 - of any of those regulations

10:00 - that takes people that take some money

10:03 - to do them.

10:05 - There is a way to structure this and I hope.

10:07 - Final point

10:08 - I hope that there's a

10:10 - everyone said

10:11 - taking these lessons learn to figure out how they could do a better job

10:14 - of of protecting their own flock.

10:18 - That are mentioned this as I did to you yesterday just the

10:20 - need for.

10:22 - The premise identification mandatory premise identification mission

10:26 - make sure that we have every premise identified within those.

10:30 - Control zones

10:31 - is really an incredible

10:32 - incredibly important piece to keep that bio security tight.

10:36 - I

10:36 - Agree and thank you so much I I look at it like this at

10:41 - agriculture is our number one industry in Pennsylvania

10:44 - you can't cut someone's hair without an inspection in your barber shop.

10:49 - This is our food source we're talking about and we need to protect it so that we stay

10:54 - the number one industry in Pennsylvania so so between the department of agriculture

10:58 - and house of representatives and senate

11:00 - and the governor's office of course

11:02 - we have to come up with some sort of a solution

11:05 - to make these actors.

11:07 - Stick to the rules and regulations that the department of agriculture us is presenting

11:12 - so that we can safeguard ourselves but thank you so much I appreciate your time thank

11:16 - you mr chairman preventers thank the gentleman representative Kincaid.

11:22 - Thank you mr chairman thank you secretary for being here and I have a feeling that

11:27 - today is going to be a lot about a high path avian influenza and

11:31 - as an urban rap

11:33 - one would not necessarily think that this would be

11:35 - a thing that that

11:37 - would concern me but especially as we are talking about affordability

11:41 - of.

11:42 - Food and and also.

11:45 - He adds need to hold onto our our farmers and keep them and support them.

11:50 - I

11:51 - Was wondering if you could talk about the

11:54 - what you what the department is doing

11:57 - at.

11:57 - At.

11:58 - In relation to

12:00 - working with the u s da to.

12:03 - Help to support our farmers that address this.

12:07 - Thank you and

12:08 - we we have seen some of these backyard poultry operations on the urban ag tour.

12:13 - That we've been on but to say a couple of things one we feel very fortunate to have

12:19 - both the infrastructure do you see those represented in this budget in terms of

12:23 - paddles labs university of Pennsylvania penn

12:25 - state all of that as part of the int restructure

12:28 - the recovery fund which I'm sure we can talk more

12:30 - about is there and it's been there and it's been really

12:32 - as we heard yesterday

12:34 - of a comforting to many the producers just because they know if something happens

12:38 - that at least they can keep their employees and make the bank payments and stuff

12:42 - but a key part of that

12:43 - is not in the budget necessarily is what the u s to you he provides to Pennsylvania.

12:48 - Agriculture at large but certainly in the high path

12:51 - even the ones that

12:52 - we have a blue team as they're

12:55 - termed

12:55 - there there there

12:56 - are basically a strike team for the u s da that come in from all over the country.

13:01 - When you combine their team with our team we've got north of one hundred people

13:05 - working on high path as we saw speak

13:08 - so they provide financial resources for the

13:10 - the

13:11 - team they provide indemnity for some of these operations that.

13:16 - Chairman mao was also talking about

13:19 - but it's a very active conversation very active

13:22 - partnership with them we could not do what we do

13:25 - without them it's been some of the worry over the last year where we have that

13:29 - team

13:29 - to work with

13:30 - the governor

13:31 - and I did a call with secretary rollins last week

13:35 - just to talk about the resources talk about the vaccine

13:38 - needs that we we have talk about sort of the financial implications

13:42 - of what's happening in Pennsylvania so

13:44 - many things

13:45 - in partnership with us today we're just

13:47 - very fortunate to have him

13:49 - them here

13:50 - it's certainly

13:51 - a lot of the rules and regulation pieces I'll just note

13:54 - are a combination of what the u s thesis forth for the poultry industry

13:58 - as well as what Pennsylvania doing and combined that that's the structure that.

14:03 - Guides our work.

14:05 - Thank you

14:05 - and you

14:06 - you talked about the recovery fund that's my my next question is.

14:10 - Kidding

14:10 - my understanding is there's about sixty million dollars in this fund

14:14 - to help offset losses and then also to increase bio security

14:18 - protections.

14:20 - Can you highlight the department's role and and that

14:23 - Grant funding and providing that.

14:26 - Love to

14:27 - a.

14:27 - Deputy secretary

14:28 - us hitter

14:29 - who's managing that account with her team but

14:31 - if you could walk through both the bio security yeah.

14:34 - It very very good question

14:36 - to date we paid out a little over fifteen will

14:38 - actually close to sixteen million dollars.

14:41 - Thirteen million loss of income to date that

14:44 - was one hundred and twenty five applications.

14:48 - Almost three million in bio security grants and that

14:50 - was one hundred and fifty seven applications thank you.

14:57 - So.

14:57 - That's very important when it comes to the loss

14:59 - of income the way the program is structured

15:01 - for them to be able to pay their fixed costs for you know two three four months when

15:06 - they

15:06 - don't have any income to come in as well.

15:09 - It may be helpful just to talk about the bio security yeah

15:13 - the types of bio security costs we can cover

15:15 - yeah

15:16 - so.

15:17 - That the program is structured to either

15:19 - implement new practices or improve old practices.

15:23 - Of course with penn state extension.

15:25 - Helping to go out and review some of these

15:28 - or.

15:28 - By a security audits usa does the same thing as well

15:31 - and Danish entry is like

15:33 - basic number one

15:35 - you know you're you're

15:36 - entering the house you're making sure you're

15:37 - crossing that line you have the proper pp

15:40 - to go on to each poultry house and then change

15:42 - it out as you cross the line to go the next one.

15:45 - You're looking at sort of the driveway as your

15:47 - first defense of who's coming in and off your farm

15:49 - making sure you have tire washing stations or in other practices

15:54 - you're identifying clue clean and dirty zones is worse

15:57 - coming in and going off perform as well

15:59 - and

16:00 - while bird mitigation we've talked a little bit

16:02 - about it yesterday as far as lasers to help her

16:05 - chase and harass some wild birds

16:07 - when you have geese and ducks that

16:09 - harbor near your your poultry houses that is a huge threat as well

16:13 - and

16:14 - securing your poultry houses due to

16:17 - rodents as well that's another thing that we see quite often

16:21 - and.

16:22 - Proper.

16:24 - Incineration for your mortalities as well or paint for incinerators

16:28 - on the farm for

16:30 - mortality

16:31 - management as well.

16:33 - Thank you

16:34 - mr chairman may have thirty more seconds.

16:37 - Hey I want to turn and talk about food insecurity

16:40 - a little bit that.

16:42 - What we put into last year's budget

16:45 - it was a historic investment it's more money than

16:47 - we have put into our anti hunger programs at.

16:52 - Than ever before but unfortunately.

16:55 - The effect of that has been sort of wiped

16:57 - out because of the cuts at the federal level.

17:01 - Which harms not only are food insecure residents but also our farmers and.

17:06 - Because that food comes from somewhere

17:08 - this year in this budget it's flat funded and I'm

17:09 - wondering if you could just speak to that a little bit.

17:13 - Yeah

17:13 - and thank you and it again to to the committee

17:16 - really appreciate the

17:17 - the additional investment last year I think the additional seven million

17:21 - that we put in and of course the increase.

17:24 - The governor's sort of executive action additional five million.

17:27 - So we covered a little bit of that

17:29 - but

17:29 - I don't want to mislead anybody that that's sufficient to cover the delta between

17:33 - sort of what the federal government

17:35 - as.

17:35 - Step back on or.

17:38 - The program changes of course that they've implemented in an implication

17:42 - but we are continuing to see

17:45 - an escalation in the number of people who are

17:47 - food insecure.

17:49 - The the certainly the

17:51 - seven million that that we have.

17:53 - Is beneficial flat funded

17:55 - total about eleven million

17:57 - would you combine this

17:58 - who purchase program with pass

18:00 - in the new money but.

18:02 - Again that's going to it's going to take all of it and some.

18:05 - For us to sort of meet the need.

18:07 - Thank you

18:08 - mr chairman

18:09 - thank the gentle lady representative brown.

18:12 - Airmen

18:14 - and thank you secretary reading for being with us today.

18:17 - So you and I have

18:18 - spoken a couple of times about my concerns but I think

18:22 - you echo

18:24 - with solar

18:25 - taking over our farmland.

18:27 - We have a similar problem arising

18:31 - with data centers

18:33 - so I'm wondering has your department been consulted at all

18:36 - about the growth of these data centers and their impact

18:39 - on our farmland.

18:42 - Yeah so I can tell you we we've been in many many conversations about land use.

18:46 - Just I just put the data centers along with

18:50 - solar it's the warehouses

18:52 - single family houses

18:54 - but yes is the short answer is we've been in many

18:56 - of those conversations about all of the above.

19:00 - So have you been able to give any insight to.

19:04 - Water usage and preservation of that land.

19:09 - Versus you know it being taken over by cars

19:12 - these I have a couple

19:13 - potentially wanting to move into my area and

19:16 - they're taking over

19:18 - hundreds of acres of farm land.

19:20 - It's a huge concern.

19:23 - Yeah and it should be made we've

19:25 - had recent conversations with the bureau of farmland preservation about.

19:29 - What the.

19:31 - Limitations are on

19:33 - on land use.

19:35 - I think it's important is as we've

19:37 - expressed to.

19:38 - Your county commissioners township supervisors who have inquired is that really

19:42 - important piece of this is that we invested a

19:45 - constitution

19:46 - land use at the local level

19:48 - so it's important that

19:49 - they're taking action

19:51 - doing the zoning ever the miserable planning code

19:54 - decide if they want it and where they want it

19:56 - but at the end of the day the only true way to sort of block whatever.

20:01 - Development you want to stop

20:03 - is through preservation

20:04 - you can preserve that farm we saw that most recently here in

20:08 - cumberland county when the Superbowl

20:10 - but yeah we we've been in

20:12 - recessions

20:13 - both in.

20:14 - What to do how to manage it how to how to guide

20:18 - further preservation board so as an example

20:21 - and then just sort of our own

20:22 - pressures

20:23 - that we see.

20:25 - Developing

20:25 - with the loss of plant.

20:28 - I appreciate your insight and your continued

20:30 - guidance in that area because we we are putting.

20:34 - Some of the guide rails in place but

20:37 - there's really nothing

20:39 - to.

20:39 - To look to as a clear guide.

20:43 - As to how to do this so any insight that.

20:46 - You could have would be.

20:48 - Appreciated but we are very pleased

20:50 - to see that the guiding principles on

20:53 - or from the governor

20:54 - team

20:54 - governor and team on

20:56 - data centers

20:57 - or.

20:57 - At least provide some

20:59 - expectations that are set out

21:02 - but it doesn't make the decision about where to put them

21:04 - yeah so I think locally you've got to make that decision about

21:07 - is that land it'll be available or not

21:10 - and if you don't want it there then.

21:13 - Restricted

21:14 - restricted by zoning or reservation.

21:17 - Thank you thank you.

21:19 - Thank the gentle lady representative Salisbury.

21:24 - Thank you secretary I'd like to first start off by saying

21:26 - thank you very much for hosting a group of students from

21:30 - my district

21:32 - who came from the promised center of home went to the farm show they had a wonderful

21:36 - time and you and your staff did a wonderful job of hosting

21:39 - so we just wanted to start off by thanking her for that

21:42 - and

21:42 - I my question today deals with food pricing.

21:46 - We know of course that people are very sensitive as consumers to food prices and I

21:52 - have a third of the district that I represent in allegheny county

21:55 - on snap

21:57 - so.

21:58 - When we look at some of the food price

22:01 - increases that we're seeing in Pennsylvania.

22:04 - I

22:05 - Am curious how much of that may have to do with

22:08 - immigration enforcement in the commonwealth.

22:12 - Yeah so

22:12 - thank you and thank you for.

22:15 - Hosting the

22:16 - group at the farm show

22:18 - is wonderful.

22:20 - Was specific to the the food

22:21 - it is difficult to make the direct correlation

22:24 - between the increase in food prices and just

22:26 - as an example I mean the the op I

22:29 - consumer price index.

22:31 - Has food prices up about two point nine percent.

22:34 - Year over year but certainly

22:36 - shows up inside of.

22:38 - What we can afford to buy by in

22:41 - the past program and snap and sleep you purchase

22:44 - there's not a direct correlation

22:46 - but I think it's it's worth noting.

22:48 - As I tried to express my opening statement

22:50 - about the relationship that we have a state

22:53 - to the immigrant population these are the workers who are front side

22:57 - in the milking parlors

22:58 - in the

22:59 - in the orci shirts and every place in between

23:02 - how

23:03 - critical they are.

23:04 - I think it's safe to say if they were not here

23:07 - the cpr would be a whole lot more than two point nine percent

23:10 - increase right

23:12 - so they help us to sort of keep a robust

23:14 - food system.

23:15 - I

23:16 - Am are concerned about

23:18 - certainly

23:19 - what happens to to that group.

23:22 - To to them as

23:23 - employees and citizens and

23:26 - members of our community

23:28 - but

23:28 - at this point there's not a direct correlation between.

23:32 - The cost of

23:33 - food and.

23:35 - Those workers.

23:36 - Or do you think we're going to be seeing any food shortages of the types of products

23:41 - that we grow here in Pennsylvania.

23:43 - Yeah I think it's just I worry everyday about this issue

23:47 - I think there are a lot of things

23:48 - on our plate

23:50 - of concern.

23:51 - I think given both the.

23:54 - State just being aware of the number of

23:56 - farm workers.

23:58 - That are here

23:59 - the immigrant

24:00 - community

24:01 - we have communities in and

24:03 - around the state that are.

24:05 - Now as a

24:06 - as as farm workers or ordering groceries online

24:10 - because they don't want to go to town

24:11 - are either concerned about

24:13 - what is happening

24:14 - but I'm very concerned that if you don't resolve the issue of.

24:18 - Immigrant labor particularly in key sectors like mushrooms

24:22 - and dairy

24:23 - and fruit

24:24 - and vegetables that is part of our food security system.

24:29 - I'm sorry I was very concerned this past fall politico published an article

24:35 - about Pennsylvania's agriculture industry and a detailed.

24:40 - Primarily in tioga county

24:42 - different part of the state than the one that

24:44 - I am privileged to represent but I spoke about

24:47 - farmers selling off their dairy cows and having to shut down

24:51 - production is that something that we're seeing more of since last fall.

24:56 - Yes I can I can give sort of one example

24:58 - I want

24:59 - to sort of share the name but to say

25:02 - that within the last couple of weeks there was a

25:04 - control the

25:05 - large dairy farm in the Northwestern part of the us state.

25:09 - Where

25:11 - ice agents arrived

25:13 - and there was a complete.

25:16 - Panic of course because every one of the members of this foreign fifteen of them

25:21 - were all his panic

25:22 - labor

25:24 - and.

25:25 - The the

25:26 - the owner was.

25:28 - That concerned that

25:29 - if they disappear that

25:31 - a lot of those cows would have to be moved immediately

25:34 - because there simply wasn't going to be somebody domestically to

25:38 - to belt him

25:39 - that's the type of concern that's underneath the conversation

25:42 - that's not placing judgement on whether the folks are here legal or what

25:46 - statuses

25:46 - it just sort of the identity as a community.

25:49 - That they have worries that they have.

25:52 - At the moment about some of the federal action so

25:54 - yeah we're concerned about it and I I don't I don't.

25:57 - Believe anybody here should be.

25:59 - Standing around in wonderment

26:01 - thinking about who's actually in the food

26:03 - system and on the farms and who's feeding us

26:05 - many many of those folks are

26:06 - seasonal labor

26:08 - immigrant labor

26:09 - but very very skilled labor.

26:12 - Thank you I appreciate your responses and also I I just want to make sure that we

26:16 - don't forget that there are people who work in for example

26:19 - the meatpacking industry and other processing facilities

26:22 - that don't necessarily work directly on a farm but certainly impact our

26:26 - food availability in Pennsylvania thank you

26:29 - thank you thank you gentle lady representative Kale

26:32 - thank you mr chairman

26:33 - thank you mr secretary for being here and

26:35 - yes I want to start

26:36 - start off by saying thank you for for coming to so many different fares across the

26:40 - commonwealth and I know the hawks town fair in a west Alexander fair.

26:45 - It seems like every year you're getting there and if you're getting there and you're

26:49 - about as far away from Harrisburg as you can get

26:52 - going the hugs town or west Alex and if you're getting there

26:55 - we appreciate.

26:57 - All over the commonwealth so please come again this year

27:00 - and we're looking forward to to pharisees and then dies fun to make sure that

27:05 - that I said thank you I I want to follow up a little bit on what a representative

27:09 - brown was talking about my colleague from Lawrence county.

27:12 - AI and and data center

27:14 - development and tell you a little bit of some insight from the ground from my

27:18 - district we have multiple projects that are occurring.

27:22 - In beaver county the northern part of my district

27:25 - and the difference in response from my local constituents on the one hand

27:31 - at the one project is happening at Bruce Mansfield which used to be a coal fired

27:35 - plant or converting it into a gas fired plant and they're really going to

27:40 - use that electricity that is off the grid they're going to use it

27:44 - to to power the the data center.

27:47 - There and there is a lot of support using an

27:50 - old brownfield site using an o industrial site

27:54 - people are excited about the opportunity to get

27:57 - to get those sites back

27:59 - up and going and the excess electricity is going to be

28:02 - go to the grid so there's a lot of wins across the board

28:06 - but there was also a potential proposed

28:09 - investment in a rural area

28:11 - where a farm is being purchased and and that got a very very different response

28:20 - and I can't stress enough this

28:22 - issue is not political

28:25 - this is not a republican issue this is not a

28:28 - democrat issue

28:29 - and really it's not even specific to to data centers

28:34 - because you mentioned earlier you're right

28:36 - we have the same issue as solar farms

28:39 - if a solar farm is being built

28:41 - on an industrial site

28:42 - it is viewed much differently

28:44 - than when it's being built on farmland.

28:48 - Because generally speaking

28:50 - we we love our farmland we want to preserve our farmland we want to make sure

28:55 - that it stays that way and I just am pleased

28:58 - to hear that you have a seat at the table

29:00 - when it comes to these issues at the department of agriculture is

29:05 - is there

29:05 - a working with the administration on that but

29:08 - could you explain a little bit more

29:11 - what is the comprehensive plan if there is one

29:14 - as it relates to data center development

29:17 - and is there something that we should be doing to make sure that we're responsibly

29:22 - developing

29:23 - these new exciting adventures.

29:26 - Yeah represented thank you thanks for the

29:28 - support of affairs and thank you for this question love seeing you there

29:32 - yeah it's good to do but

29:33 - here's my

29:34 - sort of

29:35 - quick response I mean everybody's sort of worried about

29:38 - the data centers and and land use

29:41 - we've got twelve hundred farms on a backlog list today that want to

29:45 - preserve these are folks of race their hand and

29:46 - say I want to preserve my land in perpetuity

29:49 - that is the number one asked that we're getting

29:52 - at the moment how do we protect that land

29:54 - short of

29:56 - the permanent perpetual easement

29:58 - everything else is subject to change.

30:00 - I'd love to be able to say

30:02 - it's protected by zoning that the npc is going to protect you etc etc

30:06 - the only thing that we have found that protects that land

30:09 - is is an easement.

30:11 - So to all

30:12 - just

30:13 - put the call.

30:15 - We have

30:15 - forty million added the county

30:18 - gets sixty million dollars of total preservation dollars in

30:21 - the coming year

30:22 - we should quadruple that

30:24 - we should make a hard run

30:26 - here's.

30:28 - That over the last five years or so

30:31 - we have lost two hundred thousand acres.

30:35 - Of farmland in Pennsylvania that's being converted.

30:38 - From agricultural use

30:40 - to nonagricultural use two hundred thousand acres.

30:44 - In thirty five years we preserved six

30:47 - hundred and fifty thousand.

30:50 - So that is the number one ask I have just let's protect

30:53 - this prime agricultural land

30:55 - two if you can't do that.

30:57 - I think setting a standard that you know there

30:59 - there's there's every soil in Pennsylvania

31:02 - as a productivity index

31:04 - classes one through

31:05 - four are the highest soils

31:07 - keep all of these developments off of the one through force

31:11 - to start there

31:12 - and that's a local decision you could make to say

31:14 - their prime agricultural as they're not going to be

31:17 - converted

31:18 - to non-agricultural use.

31:20 - Private property rights I've been reminded of this

31:22 - that are the kinds of things that that's a short event I mean I dunno how to stop

31:26 - something if we're attractive we want to be attractive we've got the energy as you note

31:30 - there are places to put them that are better than the others

31:32 - but I think that type of conversation to say that the

31:35 - the the security of our food system

31:39 - and the security of our energy

31:41 - production

31:42 - or coal equals.

31:43 - We should protect them.

31:45 - Thank you mr sector.

31:49 - Thank the gentleman representative curry

31:52 - thank you chairman

31:53 - hello secretary reading how are you today I

31:54 - had to see it thank you good to see you too

31:57 - and

31:58 - so I I just want to actually.

32:01 - Continue what you just said about the security of our food base and

32:05 - it's so important

32:07 - as.

32:08 - I work in my district in the southeast part of the

32:12 - state and about how many people are looking

32:15 - for fresh fruit and vegetables and how often

32:19 - we help to complement that by having different events

32:24 - and so I know that there were appropriations that

32:27 - do.

32:27 - Were given to support

32:29 - combating food insecurities

32:33 - and I would love if you could just highlight for us what that looked like

32:37 - and is looking like

32:39 - and what amounts were driven out

32:42 - and

32:43 - in terms of grants.

32:45 - Thank you so.

32:47 - A couple of a couple of pieces one

32:49 - certainly and

32:51 - you have to adjust to the food assistance and I

32:53 - should say that

32:54 - I'm particularly proud

32:56 - of

32:56 - Pennsylvania.

32:58 - In our budgets

32:59 - we reflect.

33:01 - Food

33:02 - food security

33:03 - and it's part and parcel

33:05 - that sounds like an odd statement I know but

33:07 - there are other states that marvel at what we do

33:10 - whether that's the state

33:11 - food purchase program with a passer

33:14 - program and the work that we do with a universal school.

33:18 - School breakfast to be all of those are pieces of of

33:20 - what we do specific to your question.

33:23 - There was an additional.

33:25 - Seven million that was added in the twenty five twenty six budget.

33:30 - Two million of that went to the snap

33:32 - bucks program.

33:34 - Two and a half million is being used for the Pennsylvania agricultural surplus system

33:39 - or pass

33:40 - there's five hundred thousand that we're

33:42 - dedicating to

33:44 - the whole the.

33:46 - Hunter sharing the harvest

33:48 - to make sure we we connect our hunter ers and

33:50 - food banks

33:51 - there's a million.

33:53 - There's two million

33:55 - one million each

33:56 - of grants that are going to two different organizations in.

34:00 - It.

34:00 - In the state one is sharing excess and the other

34:03 - caring for friends.

34:05 - Yeah I know that those two organizations and particularly

34:09 - they have been

34:10 - instrumental in our counties surrounding

34:14 - and in the south east I just want to thank you

34:18 - for giving us those highlights but I also want to

34:21 - just.

34:22 - I guess.

34:24 - Make sure that we all know that food is medicine.

34:28 - And that we need to continue doing.

34:31 - The work here in this state to make sure that our folks are getting the food that

34:35 - they need and I really appreciate you in that department

34:39 - and really putting yourselves out there to make sure this happens

34:42 - thank you very much appreciate your support thank you.

34:46 - Thank the gentle lady representative maiko.

34:49 - Thank you mr chairman mr secretary good to see you

34:52 - the topic thank you thank you

34:54 - and appreciate you visiting the district a

34:57 - couple of months back so

34:58 - hot

34:59 - we're on a time crunch so I'm going to try to be quick fast and in a hurry.

35:03 - Real quick during your pa farm show town hall with

35:07 - congressman g t Thompson you were talking about

35:09 - the methane digesters

35:12 - and how that they could potentially

35:14 - fuel

35:15 - these data centers that we're talking about

35:17 - and.

35:19 - I know you talked about a pilot program what's the deal with that.

35:23 - How many digesters do we need to run a data center

35:26 - just.

35:27 - The numbers on that.

35:29 - If you've got a good memory

35:30 - right if you recall the question was coming from a gentleman in York county

35:35 - which is where you could do the pilot that

35:37 - way it's not up in northampton lehigh county

35:39 - know I I think that what it was trying to express

35:41 - there was

35:43 - in.

35:43 - That.

35:45 - The

35:45 - that specific case

35:47 - is we should not eliminate any opportunity for

35:52 - co-generation of any type

35:53 - rights to the point was that there are digesters

35:55 - we did seven

35:57 - the aggravation fun we've got other farms who want to do that

36:00 - so the only point I was trying to make is to look at the sighting of

36:04 - center then look at all of the energy sources you could potentially put her at.

36:09 - The.

36:10 - Ticket with the guiding principles that governors laid out

36:12 - you basically have to bring your own energy.

36:14 - Let's let's tight agriculture and

36:17 - the data center or other uses together

36:19 - gotcha so is more of a

36:22 - conceptual thing not necessarily like a numbers deal it was aspiration you'll get to

36:26 - say let's think about it very creatively

36:28 - right

36:29 - but then that's what caught my attention because I

36:30 - am kind of a nerd when it comes to those things

36:32 - and you're talking about anaerobic digesters.

36:35 - So.

36:36 - That was sparing my question then

36:38 - why not have it commercially driven

36:40 - instead of like a countywide

36:42 - proposal and all that.

36:45 - So.

36:46 - So I just say that the inside of the activation

36:48 - Grant for last year and the propose for this year

36:51 - there is two million dollars has dedicated in

36:53 - the nine billion increase of aggravation for

36:56 - regional digesters and regional partners

36:59 - gotcha.

37:00 - Why.

37:04 - Does it need to be county based and

37:07 - or can it just be municipal or but it just is

37:10 - it just easier to allocate the funds through

37:13 - to a county and just say hey run with this

37:16 - or.

37:17 - How would that play out how would you allow

37:19 - it it can be it can be Olivia above

37:21 - right I don't we're not bound by geography.

37:25 - Political boundaries everything so it could be

37:27 - there's one in western pa that's

37:29 - sort of a loosely assembled I'll just say it's not

37:32 - the municipal base

37:33 - it's industry base

37:34 - there's one up at the cove in the mid state.

37:37 - That's more sort of regional that sort of cuts across.

37:41 - Limited because of where they are they're sort of in a bowl right

37:44 - there in that cove area you're not going to

37:46 - get an out but

37:47 - or.

37:47 - Anything at this point is is available.

37:51 - Any options available to to explore

37:53 - yeah I'd I

37:54 - I I liked the idea.

37:58 - I'm

37:58 - I'm all for it so I just am just curious

38:01 - you know

38:01 - and those

38:02 - so the ones that the facilities that are running now are they

38:05 - commercial facilities.

38:08 - Are they

38:09 - residential as in I guess farm owned

38:12 - they're all farm owned

38:13 - by us

38:14 - but are they like commercial farm owned are they

38:17 - mom and pop owned yeah other family operation family opera

38:21 - all family operations they've got.

38:24 - Most of them are dairy based but not exclusive

38:26 - as some are taking in sort of fpr as foreign.

38:30 - Food

38:30 - processing residual.

38:32 - As as.

38:33 - Some are taking in food waste to the balance

38:36 - the

38:36 - diet if you will but all of our own farms.

38:39 - All of them are are

38:40 - using to

38:41 - to.

38:42 - The operation to offset over there enter to use it but

38:45 - with energy back with the grid

38:46 - cool.

38:47 - Thank you very much appreciate it

38:49 - you start thinking about shrimp.

38:51 - Thank the gentleman representative friel.

38:56 - Thank you mr secretary for being here today.

38:59 - I

38:59 - Think this is the first time since I've been elected

39:01 - and been here that I will not ask you about fpr.

39:05 - Can't believe it did this show

39:07 - but.

39:09 - Beginning farmers I think

39:11 - one of the things I would like to hear us talk about a little more is

39:16 - the transfer of farms from

39:18 - one generation to the next or one generation to a new farmer coming in.

39:23 - Agriculture's largest industry one hundred and thirty two billion dollars

39:26 - you know where we're talking about all the incentives programs with

39:29 - dcd this morning that are putting into

39:32 - getting Eli Lilly and Jane j here but we have a huge infrastructure of agriculture

39:37 - here in Pennsylvania that is divided up into little businesses

39:41 - small farms

39:42 - and

39:43 - we need to make these farms successful

39:46 - in the next this generation and the next genera ration.

39:50 - Can you talk a little bit about

39:52 - what programs and what resources

39:54 - the agriculture department in Pennsylvania needs

39:57 - to help our farmers both in the transition

40:00 - from farmed you know to the next generation

40:03 - but also how do we make these businesses profitable

40:06 - what are what are the bottlenecks that could help.

40:09 - Not just

40:10 - keep them here but make them

40:12 - successful and thrive.

40:14 - Yeah thank you and thank thanks for both the work on the fpr says

40:18 - as well as interested in interest in the

40:20 - beginning farmers

40:21 - generally

40:22 - appreciate your work on the legislation to

40:25 - look at the beginning farmer tax credit that's

40:27 - one piece right and we've learned over the

40:29 - years that

40:30 - while we have done I think seventy three of those farms.

40:35 - The we we need to make some changes in your legislation does that

40:38 - recognizing importantly

40:40 - the the benefits of

40:42 - of the program to both the buyer and the seller

40:45 - right so that's one of the changes we're proposing

40:47 - thank you for that

40:48 - at this point all.

40:50 - A cruise to the seller we realize we have to incentivize that people are actually

40:54 - buying it and taking the risk with x forty years

40:57 - to do that

40:58 - so that's one

40:58 - let's fix that

40:59 - too

41:00 - it's about economic

41:02 - development these are economic enterprises of all shapes and sizes so

41:06 - what we do in terms of the the

41:08 - first industries fund for Pete defines through

41:10 - the farmland preservation funds through

41:12 - farm bill funds

41:14 - keep investing

41:15 - the key is to invest

41:16 - do the farm vitality Grant which is part of the pa farm bill

41:20 - we've encouraged a lot of

41:21 - folks to start there what's the business

41:24 - what's the viability of the business so you want

41:25 - to transfer great if you want to add an enterprise

41:28 - you can do that with farm

41:29 - vitale

41:30 - Grant we've done four hundred and

41:31 - fifty of those

41:33 - foreign vitality grants

41:34 - but more resources into that

41:37 - but ultimately we need to sort of put a support structure around these farms

41:41 - give them opportunities

41:42 - direct farm sales were number two in the nation and direct farm sales

41:46 - people like what we

41:47 - produce what we have

41:49 - but then support them

41:50 - through

41:51 - both building Marcus pa preferred program as part of that.

41:54 - I think making sure that we have on farm

41:57 - of.

41:58 - Processing opportunities whether that's

42:00 - right I mean that's the dairy and

42:02 - we've talked about before if it's the

42:04 - you know adding adding some type of value to whatever they're producing

42:08 - is critical.

42:10 - Including some of the agritourism

42:12 - I think there's

42:13 - one of those areas we need to think about as

42:15 - we've got something

42:17 - of.

42:17 - People like

42:18 - they they want to come to the farm and we can entertain them

42:20 - but we can also

42:22 - do that within a pretty easy drive

42:24 - so.

42:24 - There's a lot of things inside but having as a top line.

42:28 - Commitment to those young farmers we've got more than and

42:31 - any other farm.

42:32 - In the nation

42:33 - but that doesn't mean they stay here just because you and I like.

42:36 - Right they're going to stay here to see opportunity at it

42:39 - so.

42:39 - Diversification

42:41 - investments.

42:42 - Workforce opportunities

42:44 - direct sales

42:45 - but

42:45 - it's all about investments.

42:48 - I appreciate that mr secretary and if I could ask you if you

42:51 - had to pick the one place that we could invest

42:54 - that would have the biggest return for our

42:57 - existing infrastructure and ecosystem of agriculture

43:01 - where where do you think that is.

43:03 - Either at the farm level or larger human.

43:06 - Form letter or larger what would what is

43:08 - have the biggest economic impact making our farm successful

43:11 - yeah so we're going to have to and I I think the

43:15 - everybody wants sort of a one single

43:17 - processing I think we learned through the dairy

43:19 - example that rican invest

43:21 - and reinvest in those processors who are already here

43:25 - make sure that they're doing okay right that they can compete and

43:28 - that's where the innovation fund I think is particularly well suited

43:31 - and two

43:32 - is is that we need to think about.

43:34 - That as a sustained effort.

43:37 - Not just a one off decision right it's it's

43:40 - it's companies need to invest they need to know that they've got the capital and that

43:43 - access to that capital

43:45 - great thank you very much thank you.

43:50 - Thank the gentleman representative Mustafa thank you mr chairman

43:54 - and good afternoon secretary Reddit could see thank you

43:56 - yes you too and

43:58 - I just hope I'm not on the naughty list that you're not

44:00 - coming to battler this year from a farmer's breakfast

44:02 - because other members are

44:04 - excited you're coming to their district that

44:06 - I won't take it personally I swear

44:08 - don't.

44:08 - I.

44:10 - I've seen in.

44:12 - In the aqua puzzle that there

44:14 - is an additional funding of nine million dollars for the ag innovation development

44:19 - the Grant program that was started.

44:22 - Last year

44:23 - and.

44:24 - My concern with that and possibly other members of this committee.

44:29 - Of expr as some concerns about the fiscal accountability

44:32 - the oversight of this

44:34 - you know this increase in funding and how these are distributed

44:38 - and the first question I have is

44:40 - who is actually on the review board

44:42 - to decide

44:44 - who gets these discretionary grants

44:46 - so first off who

44:48 - who is decide

44:49 - is.

44:50 - Yeah so that's that's within the department agriculture

44:53 - right so we have a cross-section of.

44:56 - From the deputy secretary to the Europe markets

44:58 - to the state conservation commission where the

45:01 - the

45:01 - program is actually house that

45:03 - said conservation so it's a cross section.

45:06 - Of folks with discipline in different areas

45:09 - how many members are on this review committee

45:12 - it's not.

45:14 - What do we have

45:15 - three

45:16 - minimum of three oh just three on the deciding board yeah.

45:21 - A picture this that.

45:24 - Give it the the variety of.

45:27 - Projects I mean it could be in the fruit industry summer the animal side some are.

45:32 - Energy related

45:33 - so we try to find the folks in the department who may have that discipline

45:38 - to help us make that decision whether this is a

45:40 - viable project or not

45:42 - and that happens after the scoring and it's important

45:45 - like every one of the projects there's a scoring matrix

45:49 - so we know that they're viable projects and

45:51 - be sort of engage with

45:52 - with the department teams

45:54 - to make that final decision

45:56 - so then just.

45:57 - Is it always a three member board of the same

45:59 - exact people or do you change it up depending on

46:02 - what sort of application you get for whatever funding source or

46:06 - whatever project it is

46:07 - yeah I I don't I don't think it's that sort of it.

46:11 - Prescriptive right I think it's

46:13 - what we've got a group that works at it and the goal here is to make the best decision

46:18 - for that project.

46:19 - That may be somebody in state conservation commission

46:22 - and maybe the executive office it could be.

46:26 - In one of our program

46:27 - program areas but

46:29 - ultimately it comes down to.

46:31 - The bureau dear Hector the deputy secretary making decisions

46:34 - on what it is

46:35 - and what are the metrics that are used you said you have a scoring sheet

46:39 - of some sort and

46:40 - and again I mean

46:41 - there's all sorts of bureaus underneath.

46:44 - The umbrella of ag

46:46 - and

46:47 - like you said that you always pick a

46:49 - or you try to pick a area.

46:51 - A knowledgeable person from whatever

46:53 - part of the department but

46:55 - how's that going to work if it's something fireworks related.

46:59 - I mean just for instance

47:00 - which area

47:02 - don't just fireworks for instance I don't know if there's something

47:05 - there I mean that's going to be something different than

47:07 - a.

47:08 - You know

47:09 - go ahead

47:09 - when

47:10 - they reach out to the experts in the department to ask for

47:13 - additional resources or questions when they're reviewing

47:15 - square nose applications

47:17 - okay

47:18 - and

47:18 - as far as the Metro axe goes

47:20 - on now what you scored at go ahead I'm sorry

47:22 - yeah just to save me there's there's a number of areas I mean certainly looking at

47:25 - the project narrative what are they proposing to do.

47:28 - What's the budget like they're proposing to to

47:31 - to have funded

47:32 - what's the intent of the program

47:34 - and is it

47:36 - in keeping with the

47:38 - particularly with the innovation print couples will be laid out

47:40 - as part of the application process in a year

47:43 - that they include things like is it relevant is

47:46 - it practical is it accessible is it scalable.

47:49 - They're

47:50 - the pieces they need to

47:51 - to sort through

47:52 - what's what's the impact if it's a regional project because there's three different

47:56 - levels of projects one

47:58 - is a planning

47:59 - Grant right so they're just

48:01 - exploring what to do.

48:03 - Two it could be an on farm project.

48:06 - Than three.

48:08 - It could be original project

48:09 - that could be regional food processing regional.

48:12 - Forest products could be regional energy.

48:14 - So we we look at that as as a

48:18 - you know in each of those three areas but.

48:21 - And then sort of work through the process of.

48:24 - What what's the what's the best project.

48:27 - Okay great

48:28 - all right thank you so much for your time setting up thank you.

48:30 - Thank the gentle lady representative con

48:33 - that English chairman

48:34 - secretary.

48:36 - Thanks for a great farm show I had a

48:38 - awesome time I'm

48:39 - sorry

48:40 - secretary

48:41 - that are

48:41 - hopefully next time I can get you on my cow milking team.

48:45 - That was pretty it was pretty awesome what you guys did on that team

48:47 - so it's

48:49 - just a couple of questions

48:50 - at the at the farm show one of the things I learned about was

48:54 - the impact of the agony of a

48:55 - eg innovation Grant

48:57 - is a bill

48:58 - many folks that was passed last session led by my colleague rep

49:02 - rep

49:02 - take acc

49:03 - from centre county

49:04 - and one of the great things about that bill as it

49:07 - helps farmers to stay on their land

49:09 - and I'm actually working with representative take hack and also our chairman

49:14 - representative

49:15 - it's patient sky

49:16 - who

49:17 - had as long championed legislation like this to help farmers stay on their land

49:21 - can you talk a little bit more about the impact

49:23 - of this program about keeping our farmers

49:26 - so they can stay competitive

49:28 - and what is that demand look like on this pro

49:31 - on this program

49:32 - and

49:33 - you know is there is there is there

49:35 - a.

49:36 - Strong need for us to

49:37 - continue our support

49:39 - so that more farmers can get access to it.

49:42 - Yeah and thank you

49:43 - for the question and I'll work in reverse the answer is yes

49:47 - right so the governor's proposed nineteen billion for the innovation fund.

49:51 - First year of his ten current years ten next year proposed to be nineteen

49:56 - and that is

49:57 - for two reasons one.

49:59 - The first year

50:01 - we had sixty eight million in request.

50:04 - We had eighty eight projects

50:05 - funded out of one hundred and sixty.

50:08 - I dunno what it's

50:08 - going to be this year that's open to that application period closes about

50:12 - the second week of April so have a good sense

50:15 - but what we have heard

50:17 - very strongly

50:18 - and clearly

50:19 - is that there is an increasing need

50:22 - for innovation investments.

50:24 - So the nineteen million sort of reflect sort of what we did

50:27 - what we had

50:28 - in terms of applications

50:30 - and also

50:31 - the

50:32 - standings sort of.

50:34 - Knowledge that we have

50:36 - that a lot of these companies

50:38 - large and small.

50:40 - Are looking at innovation.

50:42 - At many different levels.

50:44 - Many reasons most of them around efficiencies and labor

50:48 - and sometimes are the same.

50:50 - I saw it last week at rice packing in Adams county where

50:53 - because of a

50:55 - your investment and innovation

50:56 - they picked up a twenty five percent efficiency but it freed up to people

51:00 - right that they could

51:01 - they could assign in other parts of the plant so

51:03 - we'd get story after story from hardwoods to potatoes

51:07 - fruit to dairy

51:09 - that are these types of examples and

51:11 - keeping in mind that for the planning Grant it takes a thirty percent match

51:16 - for all of the other two it takes a fifty percent match so

51:20 - we're putting up

51:21 - ten million

51:22 - and you can picture just immediately what you're putting on the table by company

51:26 - to leverage that money so

51:27 - that's a good investment

51:28 - there's a lot more to do

51:30 - I mean I think

51:30 - we should be proud that we've got an innovation fund

51:33 - we've got a lot of ideas yeah.

51:36 - Companies are approaching us all the time

51:39 - about how do I do this better how do I compete

51:41 - how I stay there to the question

51:43 - earlier how do I stay

51:45 - in this dairy business or poultry business whatever

51:47 - so I think there's a lot more to do and I think we're on the right trail

51:51 - in Pennsylvania the only state with innovation fund by the way

51:54 - we just have to keep doing it

51:56 - being very creative

51:58 - to do the

51:59 - representatives question about

52:01 - the types of uses

52:02 - and

52:03 - be flexible I think everyone here can appreciate that

52:06 - innovation means something very different every person.

52:09 - If the amish

52:10 - as we'd done some innovation

52:12 - their innovation is on the saw mill and being able to use scanners

52:16 - to do their work to

52:18 - have a better product

52:19 - if you're the apple producer how do I

52:21 - more

52:22 - of.

52:22 - Efficiently apply.

52:25 - The chemicals I need to apply if you're the dairy producer

52:29 - the robot may be the answer to whether you stay in this business or not so

52:33 - so a lot of really good examples there

52:35 - and I'll just close it up as saying we did one

52:38 - in in.

52:40 - Philadelphia

52:41 - with the new Bolton center

52:42 - of the universe Pennsylvania

52:44 - is really cool because it was an aggregates it's

52:46 - an animal technology it's machine learning and AI

52:50 - helping us do a better job of managing

52:52 - animals

52:53 - from a welfare and sustainability standpoint

52:56 - the types of things that we hear a lot in the public about the welfare of animals

52:59 - that sustain the ability both the farm and the environment we we do that through

53:04 - innovation foot

53:05 - thank you thank you for sharing.

53:08 - Thank you gentlemen and representative Nelson.

53:11 - Thank you mr chair

53:13 - welcome

53:13 - as secretary it's always great to see you

53:15 - like that

53:16 - I was saying earlier you know this ag hearing is more of a love fest there's

53:20 - a lot of

53:21 - support for Pennsylvania's agriculture industry and

53:25 - kind of

53:26 - this theme of

53:27 - the ag innovation grants I want to pick up to

53:30 - where our previous.

53:32 - Questionnaire started with the ag

53:34 - and then we jumped over across the outta ag innovation

53:37 - and

53:39 - to me my concern is with priorities I know last year

53:42 - we spoke about the ag innovation grants

53:46 - are

53:47 - they only helped eighty eight

53:48 - farmers

53:50 - know eighty eight people got ten million dollars but we have

53:53 - thousands and thousands of farms I mean that

53:55 - earlier.

53:57 - This hearing you said.

53:58 - B a farms are all shapes and sizes we have to support them

54:03 - and.

54:04 - Specifically.

54:06 - In the area of

54:07 - of beef

54:08 - you know

54:09 - it appears.

54:11 - You know even though the governor saying he wants to

54:13 - spend nine million dollars more in the innovation grants

54:17 - he appears to be yet again cutting.

54:20 - Eight hundred thousand

54:21 - in the

54:22 - beef center of excellence light item

54:24 - and.

54:25 - I

54:25 - Think for Pennsylvania bee farmers

54:27 - this is

54:28 - you know it plays an important role can you

54:30 - touch it and I know that's not your budget

54:32 - that's his budget

54:33 - and

54:34 - can you touch on the centers of beef excellence and

54:37 - you know how they help Pennsylvania's farmers

54:40 - what would happen what would be lost if this program gets cut

54:43 - as the governor's proposing.

54:45 - Yeah so thank thank you for the the

54:47 - question and thanks for.

54:49 - Framing this and in terms of investment

54:51 - certainly the beef industry

54:53 - and we've had some beef producers by the way

54:55 - apply and participate in the innovate you can find I mean so

54:58 - I don't look at this as an either or

55:00 - it's an ant

55:02 - because every one of those producers would tell you

55:04 - that they need the conservation funding to eat the animal health funding either

55:07 - marketing money they want the innovation money

55:09 - and that's not a that's not unique to them it's all

55:12 - of the egg industry so we're trying to address that.

55:15 - Certainly know that that one of the.

55:19 - Components of

55:20 - centers of excellence

55:22 - beef as you note.

55:24 - Was cut I think

55:25 - we understand both of us know this is a process

55:27 - to work through right so

55:29 - our commitment to work with you

55:30 - on that but please

55:32 - appreciate your advocacy for

55:34 - beef industry and

55:35 - I mean as we as we look at it

55:37 - and

55:38 - in.

55:39 - The budget proposed budget is a reflection of priorities but I agree with

55:43 - again earlier in your testimony you touched on.

55:46 - I think you said thirteen thousand farms on the preservation backlog or there's

55:50 - there's thousands of farmers that are

55:52 - that are wanting to seek

55:54 - the easement or preservation but

55:56 - there's just not enough room for them to be able to move forward

55:59 - which is

56:00 - would be a financial commitment I mean

56:02 - even in

56:03 - if we look at the

56:04 - department of

56:05 - ags line I'm twenty six line items

56:08 - the governor is

56:09 - either flat funding or cutting twenty four of them

56:12 - you know and then there's this nine million dollar

56:16 - increase for a select few

56:18 - you know I I would

56:19 - really encourage that.

56:21 - You know that we

56:22 - we prioritize.

56:24 - All farmers

56:25 - into the thirteen thousand Pennsylvania beef farmers

56:28 - like they

56:28 - they really

56:30 - they're over three hundred million dollars in industry for Pennsylvania

56:33 - now you know I

56:35 - I realize

56:36 - you're kind of

56:37 - you don't you're not real Ali able to

56:39 - oppose

56:40 - the governor's proposal but when we spend nine million dollars.

56:45 - More in one area but we're cutting.

56:48 - A program that supports thirteen thousand farmers and we're not addressing the

56:52 - backlog for preservation in easement I just

56:55 - I I agree in the egg investment I just

56:57 - I'm confused by the priorities

56:59 - we just need you to support both.

57:03 - Just listen I think at the end of the day you're asking us to make these really

57:06 - critical investments I'm never going to trade away.

57:09 - Like the innovation fund what we've seen the last

57:11 - year a lot of the questions we had last year were

57:13 - what is there some how's it going to work

57:15 - the questions now are like

57:16 - how do we keep this

57:18 - going and I I just would ask us all to think really really.

57:22 - Carefully about that

57:23 - the pressures we're under

57:25 - are are severe.

57:27 - Every level right every producer you talked to and there's a

57:30 - lot of reasons for that

57:32 - but I think you know just to be clear

57:34 - the twelve hundred

57:35 - farms on the backlog list is what twelve hundred twelve hundred farms that that's

57:39 - what counties have

57:40 - given us to

57:42 - think making sure that.

57:45 - The farmland and how we invest in that farmland

57:48 - preservation program is important.

57:51 - In recognize that a lot of

57:53 - components to

57:54 - supporting individual sectors

57:56 - I'll just say that

57:57 - there's not a single line here that's going to

57:59 - make or break any

58:00 - particular

58:01 - industry it's how you connect and.

58:03 - I don't want to finish by saying there was an end

58:05 - question earlier about where would you invest.

58:07 - I become really sensitive to in the last year

58:11 - about the

58:12 - the beef processing industry.

58:15 - One of them is significantly foreign-owned.

58:18 - In Pennsylvania I'm very concerned about like those workers

58:22 - there are seventeen languages on the bulletin board when I walk into that plant.

58:27 - I know who's there.

58:28 - I know what they're doing and we're not going to enjoy what we do without them

58:32 - so investments there another one of those areas of econ Smith relevant so.

58:36 - It's not a direct answer

58:38 - to the

58:39 - value and the trade off some priorities I think they are all priorities

58:43 - I appreciate our continued work together

58:45 - thank you very much thank you mr chair

58:47 - thank the gentleman

58:48 - representative

58:50 - Brennan.

58:54 - Thank you mr chairman

58:55 - and secretary reading always good seeing good afternoon

58:58 - thank you to

58:59 - we.

58:59 - We certainly Michigan bucks county we appreciate all the time you

59:03 - had there heading up and leading a delaval university so are our last bucks county's

59:07 - losses certainly the state's gain

59:10 - but I think you as well as anybody we know how important

59:13 - agriculture is bucks county with the eight hundred plus farm seventy thousand.

59:19 - Acres of farmland ninety million dollars and and products sold.

59:24 - Across the state and in bucks county we continue to lose prime farmland and we

59:29 - continue to have people while at the same time having

59:30 - people wait for long periods of time on waiting lists for.

59:34 - For preservation

59:36 - and

59:36 - our program here in Pennsylvania is one of the

59:38 - oldest and most successful in the country we've a

59:42 - it was created in nineteen eighty eight more than six

59:45 - six thousand five hundred farms have been preserved

59:48 - six hundred and fifty thousand acres.

59:50 - Last

59:51 - term I introduced house bill

59:53 - seventeen seventy seven this year I introduced

59:55 - house bill

59:56 - ten fifty nine to try and.

59:59 - 172 Preserve additional farm land to make sure that

01:00 - 05.712 when we're allocating money to to farmland preservation that that

01:00 - 09.552 that that is actually happening and that we don't continue to have these people

01:00 - 12.852 being pressured by being on a wait list and possibly losing

01:00 - 14.172 prime farmland so

01:00 - 15.252 I guess

01:00 - 16.722 my question for you as a

01:00 - 19.362 you what do you envision as as being

01:00 - 20.120 as successful

01:00 - 22.422 to to more incentivize this program to

01:00 - 25.722 what should we be including and and how can we start

01:00 - 28.632 making sure that when we're allocating these funds that it's

01:00 - 30.862 it's going to to preservation.

01:00 - 32.862 Yeah represented thank you and

01:00 - 34.122 really appreciate the

01:00 - 36.313 kind words from bucks county but also to

01:00 - 39.372 work on land trust and I think it's one of the

01:00 - 40.932 great developments

01:00 - 45.372 inside of our farmer preservation program is the allowance for partnership with

01:00 - 50.602 our land trust we've got twenty four that are registered with us and work with us on.

01:00 - 51.802 On on easements

01:00 - 53.544 if there are families who

01:00 - 55.808 prefer to work with land trust versus the

01:00 - 58.954 county or state program for a lot of reasons

01:00 - 02.034 but we know that there's also indeed there to adjust

01:01 - 04.704 what we provide so we allow

01:01 - 06.504 every year two hundred thousand dollars

01:01 - 08.274 for the land trust

01:01 - 09.024 and then

01:01 - 11.464 some some cost assistance.

01:01 - 15.094 In process I have about five thousand dollars per easement

01:01 - 17.859 what the land trust have asked us to do is two things

01:01 - 20.814 one is to raise the five thousand to to a higher cap

01:01 - 23.644 rate so I think we can do that and your legislation

01:01 - 25.224 point to us in that direction

01:01 - 27.116 the second one's a little more complicated

01:01 - 29.904 just because they they would like an allocation

01:01 - 31.284 to actually

01:01 - 34.654 assist in the the the easement purchase.

01:01 - 36.154 In that gets a little

01:01 - 36.744 more

01:01 - 37.734 complicated

01:01 - 40.464 because we've got fifty eight counties to the point earlier

01:01 - 42.090 that someone's going to have to

01:01 - 46.564 to to pull money away from the existing counties without an appropriation increase

01:01 - 48.564 to to do that but I think

01:01 - 50.034 there's a middle ground here

01:01 - 51.894 in the middle ground is at least

01:01 - 52.974 acknowledged we can

01:01 - 57.454 raise the the the the per easement.

01:01 - 02.194 Assistance that we can provide from five thousand to say ten thousand or more.

01:02 - 03.264 That would be

01:02 - 05.014 my recommendation

01:02 - 09.364 if we're lucky to have additional money then I think we look at that part too.

01:02 - 13.234 Because that's what they ultimately want to do is to be able to underwrite and support.

01:02 - 14.874 Each of those easements by.

01:02 - 18.054 By easement purchase and I definitely think there's

01:02 - 20.814 room for flexibility to also try and encourage up

01:02 - 25.104 some counties who aren't using their fi funds to try and create incentives for them

01:02 - 27.714 to do that better but in the end I think we're

01:02 - 30.594 we're losing opportunities each year when where

01:02 - 34.500 we're not making that allocated funding available for for those farms and for those

01:02 - 36.698 farmers so but thank you for I look forward to working

01:02 - 38.602 with your department and thank you for your time

01:02 - 39.694 likewise thinking

01:02 - 41.734 representative all summer.

01:02 - 44.434 Thank you mr chairman.

01:02 - 46.997 Secretary reading it's a pleasure to have you here and

01:02 - 50.074 thank you for everything you do for the commonwealth

01:02 - 51.994 good to see you thank you.

01:02 - 54.504 I'm going to

01:02 - 00.544 bounce off of what representative Kincaid had already addressed a little bit

01:03 - 05.194 and and that has to do with the farmers market food coupons.

01:03 - 07.944 My question is

01:03 - 09.544 mr secretary

01:03 - 12.994 and in the twenty five twenty six.

01:03 - 14.764 Budget year.

01:03 - 16.464 That was enacted in

01:03 - 17.614 two thousand twenty five

01:03 - 20.434 there was that seven million dollar increase

01:03 - 21.924 and

01:03 - 25.044 simply can you explain to the committee

01:03 - 30.090 how that seven days color or how that seven million dollar increase is currently

01:03 - 33.274 being utilized and why was it necessary.

01:03 - 37.530 Yeah so thank you for the question to me there's there's two pieces about one is the

01:03 - 39.504 the why it's necessary I think that

01:03 - 41.674 we're continuing to see.

01:03 - 43.414 Demand

01:03 - 46.524 within the community at large but certainly at the food banks

01:03 - 49.834 and charitable systems I'll just say.

01:03 - 51.264 Continued demand on them

01:03 - 55.224 to to meet the needs and they come in all shapes and sizes across

01:03 - 57.514 the state rural and urban.

01:03 - 01.684 The additional seven million was added to do a couple of things one.

01:04 - 03.564 Was to suck lament the.

01:04 - 05.194 Past the

01:04 - 07.324 American cultural surplus system.

01:04 - 09.934 In that was a two and a half million.

01:04 - 12.574 Was for the pass program that's where we.

01:04 - 15.444 Work with feeding Pennsylvania to

01:04 - 16.989 get surplus product.

01:04 - 20.394 There's two million that goes to the snap bucks

01:04 - 21.574 program

01:04 - 22.554 and again that's a

01:04 - 23.094 go to

01:04 - 25.614 a program that supplements our snap

01:04 - 26.854 nutrition program

01:04 - 28.854 five hundred thousand four

01:04 - 30.124 hundred share in the harvest

01:04 - 32.674 then two grants of two million.

01:04 - 33.774 So.

01:04 - 34.974 In the

01:04 - 38.104 fiscal year twenty six twenty seven

01:04 - 39.984 yeah the budget level funded

01:04 - 43.864 essentially continuing the seven million.

01:04 - 45.864 How much

01:04 - 47.214 of in the current

01:04 - 48.364 budget year

01:04 - 51.394 how much of that seven million is current.

01:04 - 55.194 Is currently being utilized in the current fiscal year

01:04 - 57.214 current fiscal year so.

01:04 - 58.534 We are.

01:04 - 02.640 This is where a late budget shows up right when it's four

01:05 - 05.184 months late it's presta south as can be honest with you

01:05 - 08.094 really pressed us on getting it out the door

01:05 - 09.604 but the contracts

01:05 - 12.063 are underway for the graphs the contract is

01:05 - 15.114 underway for the one hundred Sharon harvest the pass

01:05 - 16.584 contract is moving

01:05 - 20.404 in the snap boxes going out on a request for proposal.

01:05 - 21.754 Any day now.

01:05 - 23.394 Ok and

01:05 - 25.114 one last question.

01:05 - 31.950 Can you give an update on the Pennsylvania agricultural veteran Grant program and

01:05 - 35.944 explain why the department will not be accepting applications

01:05 - 37.414 for the program.

01:05 - 41.634 Per the February seventh two thousand and twenty six notice

01:05 - 43.594 in the pa bulletin.

01:05 - 44.884 Yeah thank you

01:05 - 46.024 it's a great question

01:05 - 47.574 I'll just say that

01:05 - 49.624 it's one of those.

01:05 - 52.024 Experiences of.

01:05 - 56.134 It's a combination of things but at the end of the day.

01:05 - 01.464 There is no explicit authorizing legislation that created the veterans program

01:06 - 05.394 we did that within the structure of the egg business development

01:06 - 08.304 center so the three hundred thousand we commit

01:06 - 11.222 we ran into a roadblock of sort of the the legal

01:06 - 14.214 authority that we had actually I run a Grant program

01:06 - 15.774 so we had to backup

01:06 - 17.334 withdraw the notice

01:06 - 18.634 reset it

01:06 - 22.044 and then go back out but it's one of the areas we're going to need some help

01:06 - 25.114 to get the authorization to run the veterans program.

01:06 - 26.754 Okay thank you mr secretary

01:06 - 28.024 mr chairman

01:06 - 31.084 thank the gentleman representative Webster.

01:06 - 33.424 Thank you mr chairman

01:06 - 34.504 secretary reading thanks

01:06 - 36.094 for being here as

01:06 - 37.494 as you may recall

01:06 - 40.944 I did get to the farm show but you are very busy that day so

01:06 - 43.794 we waved a couple of times and if it is good to see you

01:06 - 44.274 thank you

01:06 - 45.204 couldn't get there

01:06 - 46.654 thank you.

01:06 - 49.644 I want to talk a little bit about and really I'm

01:06 - 50.364 I'm

01:06 - 52.414 I'm lobbying you.

01:06 - 54.694 Agricultural conservation

01:06 - 55.554 grants

01:06 - 56.824 a cap

01:06 - 00.564 and and one to sort of talk about a

01:07 - 05.464 scenario in in minds of the world as Montgomery county and the perkiomen watershed

01:07 - 10.014 but the pokemon watershed extends to bucks and berks and lehigh county

01:07 - 12.604 almost four hundred square miles

01:07 - 14.334 and and so we're looking

01:07 - 15.804 everywhere for the

01:07 - 18.754 the way to fund some projects

01:07 - 22.344 that that have regional impact more so than

01:07 - 24.354 we know point specific impact

01:07 - 25.494 and and I

01:07 - 27.234 I I think I'm just here to

01:07 - 29.874 sort of say you know we won't talk more about that

01:07 - 32.634 we've done our studies and our homeworks were rough ready

01:07 - 34.494 to go and we need to know how to

01:07 - 38.224 engage the system supports the Grant programs

01:07 - 40.194 and maybe in the budget you know

01:07 - 42.894 goose it so that we're ready to do

01:07 - 44.254 more work

01:07 - 45.654 in an area that has

01:07 - 48.244 a large regional impact.

01:07 - 51.874 We're open to the conversation I mean I I would say

01:07 - 54.514 certainly a cap is the most obvious

01:07 - 55.344 right but

01:07 - 57.736 if we can look at the other conservation

01:07 - 00.804 programs federal and state that we have access to.

01:08 - 04.534 I think we we we love the regional aspects

01:08 - 06.214 like the watershed

01:08 - 07.414 aspects

01:08 - 07.974 and

01:08 - 10.104 so we're open to cars conversations about that

01:08 - 13.378 if you want to change things within the eight character you'd have to

01:08 - 15.354 talk about what the abstract like but

01:08 - 17.767 we have a dedicated fund of fifty million for the very

01:08 - 20.394 first time thirty five of that goes to a cap that you know

01:08 - 21.144 so.

01:08 - 22.744 It's time re

01:08 - 23.884 a lot to talk about

01:08 - 25.224 important programs that

01:08 - 26.304 maybe we can

01:08 - 28.704 yes but not just take advantage of but

01:08 - 32.304 by that make them effective and in ways for that region yes

01:08 - 33.594 to come back to

01:08 - 36.234 the second point on a completely different area

01:08 - 37.624 I'm going to Rita

01:08 - 39.534 an email I got from a very dear friend

01:08 - 40.764 and and

01:08 - 42.474 I'm really talking about the

01:08 - 44.934 university of Pennsylvania veterinary clinic

01:08 - 46.384 and school which

01:08 - 49.194 which you support in the agricultural budget

01:08 - 50.944 and I'm just going to read this

01:08 - 55.834 we adopted a little dog in November that had been nearly starved to death.

01:08 - 58.044 The shelter wasn't sure she would survive

01:08 - 00.414 and as a result of the mount nutrition

01:09 - 03.424 herald her adult teeth are damaged.

01:09 - 05.344 The vet.

01:09 - 06.544 Recommended.

01:09 - 10.434 The school of animal dentistry at the university of Pennsylvania

01:09 - 12.814 so we went this morning and

01:09 - 13.734 and

01:09 - 16.374 a fourth year vet student looked at Macy's mouth

01:09 - 18.954 left the room and came back ten minutes later

01:09 - 22.684 we were surrounded by two expert animal teeth specialists

01:09 - 24.754 and three veterinary students

01:09 - 27.474 and who even knew dog dentists existed

01:09 - 30.924 but we do and the university of Pennsylvania veterinary clinic

01:09 - 33.054 important part I know it's flat funded

01:09 - 35.184 yes I'm a little uncomfortable right

01:09 - 36.894 in a in an era where

01:09 - 41.544 we always count inflation flat funding means we lose a little bit

01:09 - 43.434 but I just wanted to

01:09 - 46.074 thank you and a department for keeping nut

01:09 - 47.314 that part

01:09 - 51.624 of the large animal veterinary school and and the things that we have to do from the

01:09 - 54.354 university of Pennsylvania funded an ongoing

01:09 - 58.084 or you're you're you're welcome and thank you I mean I think it's.

01:09 - 59.604 Again we're fortunate to have

01:09 - 01.024 recipe Pennsylvania

01:10 - 03.184 right there they're an indispensable.

01:10 - 06.744 Partner of our hours they've shown up every time that we have a

01:10 - 08.394 high path AI or

01:10 - 09.834 some other animal health

01:10 - 11.044 emergency

01:10 - 13.674 disease and then just sort of the steady steady

01:10 - 15.294 competent partner so.

01:10 - 17.274 Yeah we're pleased at least it's

01:10 - 18.174 level

01:10 - 20.024 and we can continue our partnership

01:10 - 21.294 or pass it back thank you.

01:10 - 23.404 Thanks mister chairman.

01:10 - 26.614 Thank the gentleman representing a flood.

01:10 - 29.394 Thank you chairman thank you secretary for being here

01:10 - 35.164 whenever the governors funding proposals for was for adult use cannabis.

01:10 - 37.404 Were any stakeholders involved

01:10 - 40.464 to solicit input from the agricultural community

01:10 - 42.864 to see if farmers would even

01:10 - 47.634 want to grow the adult use cannabis which although president trump

01:10 - 50.298 has signed an executive order calling for it

01:10 - 52.884 to be rescheduled as a schedule three drug

01:10 - 53.814 it's

01:10 - 57.109 still federally listed as a schedule one narcotic

01:10 - 00.574 and ammo have limited marketability to farmers.

01:11 - 02.674 Yeah so.

01:11 - 04.264 Thank you for the question.

01:11 - 05.704 Answers yes

01:11 - 09.514 there were conversations early on and this has been sort of a parallel.

01:11 - 13.374 Work that we've done with the hemp industry and what I alluded to.

01:11 - 15.034 Just about

01:11 - 16.164 some of the the the

01:11 - 17.784 aspects of the hemp industry

01:11 - 20.424 have gotten really complicated because of

01:11 - 24.064 the intoxicating substances and and of course.

01:11 - 24.444 Just

01:11 - 26.424 sheer profitability so

01:11 - 28.764 yeah they've been in conversations with us

01:11 - 30.444 we think that's really

01:11 - 34.134 an important difference in both Pennsylvania program but also have an

01:11 - 35.844 art of agriculture administer that

01:11 - 39.144 the other two pieces I'll just note that the congress

01:11 - 42.004 in one of the spending packages in November.

01:11 - 45.214 Made this really important distinction between.

01:11 - 47.627 The the original sort of two thousand and

01:11 - 50.094 eighteen farm bill which was industrial hemp

01:11 - 52.944 to say that the that that is feed

01:11 - 54.664 in that is fiber

01:11 - 57.084 and then they put in place a really

01:11 - 59.359 important distinction here in terms of the thc

01:11 - 02.494 level and what's going to be enforced in November

01:12 - 03.634 so we think that

01:12 - 05.140 you take with the president's nominee

01:12 - 05.514 agile

01:12 - 06.634 three.

01:12 - 11.554 Cannabis you look at the the actions of congress

01:12 - 12.024 and

01:12 - 16.104 we think the intoxicating substance issue at large for us is a problem

01:12 - 17.094 that the

01:12 - 18.604 hemp issue

01:12 - 22.074 and then you put on top of that the Montgomery county grand jury report that

01:12 - 24.114 in their survey and testing

01:12 - 26.464 of one hundred and forty four projects

01:12 - 28.984 ninety three per cent were actually marijuana.

01:12 - 33.694 Do you do you expect to tie this new cannabis program into

01:12 - 38.454 and be eligible for grants from other programs like the agricultural innovation

01:12 - 40.773 development program or the agricultural business

01:12 - 43.474 and workforce investment program appropriations

01:12 - 48.000 it's a great question I hadn't thought about that I don't know a reason not to allow

01:12 - 51.174 somebody to lie look at a farm vitality Grant as an example or

01:12 - 54.084 do conservation funding but I think we would look at that

01:12 - 56.318 pretty comprehensively to say what is it going

01:12 - 58.224 to take for them to be successful if we do it

01:12 - 59.244 and

01:12 - 03.154 have you seen any draft language on and.

01:13 - 06.218 Legalizing the legalization of

01:13 - 08.344 adults use cannabis.

01:13 - 13.080 If you have would you be able to provide us with a copy of that draft language so I

01:13 - 15.412 haven't seen the language I know sort of the guiding

01:13 - 18.725 principles that were laid out by the governor and team

01:13 - 21.324 and we certainly can can provide

01:13 - 22.374 those but

01:13 - 23.994 they go to you

01:13 - 27.384 just the vibrancy of the marketplace and in really trying to

01:13 - 29.678 prioritize our farms ensure a level playing

01:13 - 32.094 field between Pennsylvania and the other states

01:13 - 35.814 and then sort of sustain the medical marijuana program which I think is

01:13 - 36.324 important

01:13 - 37.194 we don't want to

01:13 - 38.814 compromise that of course but

01:13 - 41.644 no I have not seen the actual legislation.

01:13 - 47.940 So get given the fixation with adult use cannabis will the department dedicate just

01:13 - 50.904 as much time and resources to industrial hemp

01:13 - 55.384 which has historically been a valuable crop in Pennsylvania

01:13 - 59.374 that has untapped economic and innovative potential.

01:14 - 01.414 Yes

01:14 - 05.514 but I think we've got to do that comprehensively and this this will be my ask is that

01:14 - 09.300 knowing what we know about the hemp program and what it was designed to do and what

01:14 - 12.184 we as a department asked the legislature to

01:14 - 13.654 to pass

01:14 - 16.324 it's difficult to do that today.

01:14 - 17.214 Without

01:14 - 20.494 significant investments in the.

01:14 - 22.084 Hemp processing

01:14 - 26.664 as long as there's this sort of illicit market around thc and cbd is

01:14 - 29.334 where ninety seven percent of the hemp applicants

01:14 - 31.404 to us permit permit africans

01:14 - 33.324 are going to the cbd market

01:14 - 37.434 you have to get at the root cause problem the only way to do that is get to adult use

01:14 - 40.794 and then treated comprehensively and then make a decision where

01:14 - 41.994 where you want to invest

01:14 - 44.364 we don't want to miss the moment for eg

01:14 - 47.304 so it's a long answer to say you can do it

01:14 - 52.234 and yes we can invest but you've got to do it sort of comprehensively not one off.

01:14 - 53.424 So.

01:14 - 54.024 So.

01:14 - 56.381 Because we don't have this comprehensive plan is

01:14 - 58.854 that a reason do you think that's a reason why

01:14 - 03.124 we don't see more proposals to grow the hemp industry

01:15 - 06.304 given the potential uses for hemp and the economic

01:15 - 09.574 development for equipment processing and manufacturing.

01:15 - 12.904 I do I think it's it's two things one.

01:15 - 14.524 That there's.

01:15 - 15.934 No discipline

01:15 - 18.894 in the marketplace relative to cbd and thc is

01:15 - 22.434 and two is that the easy way to address

01:15 - 26.484 the economics of an individual permit holder farmer in this case.

01:15 - 28.884 Is to simply do the the

01:15 - 30.444 cbd thing

01:15 - 34.164 and not put your money in investment into the fiber and feet said.

01:15 - 35.154 Okay

01:15 - 37.084 thank you so much.

01:15 - 43.024 Thank the gentle lady representative bar ton.

01:15 - 44.194 Chairman Harris

01:15 - 47.274 secretary reading thanks for being here is great to see you and

01:15 - 49.794 I'd be remiss if I didn't share with you that I

01:15 - 53.304 really appreciate the support you give to school in berks county

01:15 - 55.644 you're you're not just your support but

01:15 - 59.064 actually showing up at events like everybody else said it's a

01:15 - 00.394 recognized

01:16 - 03.204 statewide commonwealth wide and we appreciate that you're welcome

01:16 - 03.894 and

01:16 - 05.964 let me just jump into this and

01:16 - 06.744 his

01:16 - 08.704 kind can you explain.

01:16 - 10.444 If there is

01:16 - 11.664 permitting

01:16 - 14.124 and I'd like to talk to about permitting

01:16 - 15.204 permitting

01:16 - 17.884 coordination or or or communication

01:16 - 21.474 and that you would have with dp and

01:16 - 22.804 more specifically.

01:16 - 25.704 What what oversight is done with

01:16 - 28.474 your department when it comes to.

01:16 - 30.144 Farming operations and.

01:16 - 32.614 I ask this because.

01:16 - 35.764 Some family farms have been.

01:16 - 38.664 Good neighbors good good businesses good farmers

01:16 - 39.714 and

01:16 - 40.374 have

01:16 - 45.564 more permitting and oversight issues with the department of environmental protection

01:16 - 46.674 for notice of

01:16 - 48.124 an obese.

01:16 - 50.734 That.

01:16 - 52.594 Just seem to be excessive

01:16 - 53.734 and.

01:16 - 56.494 His air permitting coordination.

01:16 - 59.304 Between the departments

01:16 - 01.208 with respect to farms.

01:17 - 05.464 Yeah so I'll start and Greg if you don't mind

01:17 - 07.044 the short answer is yes

01:17 - 09.754 and I give a lot of credit here too.

01:17 - 11.464 The.

01:17 - 15.414 Secretary Shirley and really the officer transformation for

01:17 - 17.494 the permitting initiative.

01:17 - 22.714 That we've seen a direct impact on permit times

01:17 - 24.444 particularly on the one o two

01:17 - 26.544 category which is something very

01:17 - 29.814 important to an actively used by

01:17 - 31.264 a buyer farms

01:17 - 34.324 we've seen a I think a sixty per cent reduction.

01:17 - 35.634 In time

01:17 - 36.864 frames for

01:17 - 37.524 the

01:17 - 39.754 security of a one or two permit.

01:17 - 42.354 There have been several work groups I know Greg you've worked

01:17 - 44.364 with sectors surely on that

01:17 - 46.614 and then continue conversations

01:17 - 49.174 at large about permits but also.

01:17 - 52.044 Particularly with r e p a and capable permits but

01:17 - 52.764 Greg

01:17 - 53.874 and

01:17 - 55.164 to your question

01:17 - 57.492 are you specifically talking what permits because

01:17 - 59.994 there's there's a broad gamut there because of course

01:18 - 04.234 you know the state conservation commission is housed between agen dp

01:18 - 07.103 we've got the manure nutrient management plans the

01:18 - 10.474 odor management plans manure hauler broker programs

01:18 - 12.984 are are we talking more k foes or.

01:18 - 15.114 So it's all about okay

01:18 - 16.794 let let me just share with you that

01:18 - 20.574 farmers and you guys know this right farmers are our mechanics yeah

01:18 - 23.934 they're they're truck drivers their equipment operators

01:18 - 24.774 their chemists

01:18 - 26.134 their biologist.

01:18 - 28.344 There

01:18 - 31.674 there are veterinarians they're pilots in some cases

01:18 - 33.174 but they're not lawyers

01:18 - 34.164 and and and

01:18 - 35.994 they're nourishing our communities

01:18 - 39.294 they're they're feeding our our communities and and and

01:18 - 40.944 and then some right

01:18 - 42.394 and then some

01:18 - 46.714 and while we need to have guidelines and guide rails guardrails

01:18 - 47.484 and

01:18 - 48.744 sometimes

01:18 - 51.714 the the anchovies can get excessive and and

01:18 - 53.104 my co.

01:18 - 57.054 Do do farmers just have to have a lawyer on staff or or or

01:18 - 59.176 is there a work that can be done between

01:18 - 01.434 department of agriculture and d e p to say hey

01:19 - 03.714 wait a minute here we need to step in

01:19 - 05.584 while you might know.

01:19 - 08.134 Things in the d p we know agriculture.

01:19 - 10.524 So I'd say a couple of things

01:19 - 11.734 represented one is

01:19 - 16.324 listen we ought to make it as easy as possible for people do the right thing

01:19 - 17.734 to make it easier to

01:19 - 20.784 me just make it as easy so that's a permit let's figure that out.

01:19 - 25.584 So we we should do that generally too I think in the cases where

01:19 - 29.784 it's the general administration of a permit there's a lot of back and forth between

01:19 - 31.365 the department and

01:19 - 33.924 ndp and the state conservation commission

01:19 - 36.785 as soon as you mentioned an endo v.

01:19 - 38.874 Just to say the flag goes up because

01:19 - 40.534 something's happened

01:19 - 42.664 and that's none of the administration

01:19 - 44.154 but we try to be helpful

01:19 - 45.480 I don't want to be dismissive

01:19 - 46.524 of the question

01:19 - 49.284 if it's something we can weigh and we can try to be helpful

01:19 - 51.054 that we certainly want to do that

01:19 - 51.894 and

01:19 - 54.444 get to the root problem and get it fixed of course

01:19 - 58.464 that if he doesn't either become a larger problem or force somebody out of business

01:19 - 02.664 it just seems like sometimes it can be excessive and I didn't mean to cut you off but

01:20 - 05.127 expand it and we do know that there's bad

01:20 - 07.554 actors everywhere right I'm not suggesting that

01:20 - 10.404 just because you're a farmer doesn't mean that you don't

01:20 - 12.534 have to follow the rules that's not the case at all

01:20 - 13.684 it's just that

01:20 - 15.774 it seems like in some cases

01:20 - 18.414 it gets incredibly the excessive and and

01:20 - 20.844 the only way out is a lawyer and it just gets

01:20 - 21.384 better.

01:20 - 23.424 Just financially burdensome

01:20 - 23.964 right

01:20 - 27.094 it is right that it's usually not that productive

01:20 - 29.424 either right to end up spending a lot of money

01:20 - 31.134 to resolve the problem but

01:20 - 33.046 I'd like to point out the value of the conservation

01:20 - 36.394 district so they were really built to be in that liaison.

01:20 - 39.964 Between dp and scc

01:20 - 42.144 to the farmer so they are a great resource

01:20 - 44.784 when it comes to the permit permitting looking for advice and

01:20 - 48.034 understanding the permit applications and.

01:20 - 49.084 I farm as well

01:20 - 52.624 grow up on a dairy farm so I understand the process.

01:20 - 56.904 Again just a plug for the conservation districts it was designed that way

01:20 - 58.084 my time is up thank you

01:20 - 00.904 thanks gentlemen representative marceau.

01:21 - 05.074 Thank you mr chair airmen thank you so much for being here today.

01:21 - 07.912 Quick cause I I know.

01:21 - 08.976 The clock is ticking

01:21 - 09.836 and

01:21 - 12.116 I wanted to ask a little bit about

01:21 - 14.046 some of the dollars

01:21 - 17.916 in the agricultural preparedness and response appropriation.

01:21 - 20.016 So in October

01:21 - 23.786 your office requested from the governor's budget office

01:21 - 26.736 thirty four million in that area.

01:21 - 28.046 But

01:21 - 32.516 when you look through the governor's proposed budget it only is eleven

01:21 - 33.816 million.

01:21 - 35.576 For that particular line

01:21 - 40.166 and that line includes level funding for spotted lantern fly

01:21 - 45.002 which is three million level funding for the pa animal diagnostic lab system six

01:21 - 48.246 million and an additional two million for the western laboratory

01:21 - 49.136 and so my

01:21 - 50.436 I have two questions

01:21 - 54.956 the first one is that I noticed and since I'm from the southeast part of Pennsylvania

01:21 - 56.816 I noticed that the penn vet

01:21 - 57.716 and

01:21 - 59.096 separate line item

01:21 - 01.171 is level funded and

01:22 - 03.576 so my question is.

01:22 - 06.986 You know given that you are receiving less than what you you were

01:22 - 11.316 asking for and a penn vet is level funded

01:22 - 12.756 are we.

01:22 - 15.126 I guess or should we be concerned

01:22 - 19.746 about making sure that we have enough funding within that.

01:22 - 22.380 Preparedness and response area since it seems

01:22 - 24.806 like those issues are very important this year

01:22 - 26.826 and also

01:22 - 29.363 do we need to think about those priorities or is it

01:22 - 31.676 going to be some that were at some point in the year

01:22 - 34.200 there's a shift and now we have to increase that

01:22 - 37.416 amount because of an outbreak or something that occurs.

01:22 - 38.036 Thank you

01:22 - 38.726 thank you

01:22 - 40.622 for the question I don't know turn two

01:22 - 42.206 two reprehensible or for.

01:22 - 46.076 Further explanation or to answer your question the movie eleven million

01:22 - 47.766 viewers no.

01:22 - 49.286 Six million for animal health

01:22 - 50.706 two million

01:22 - 53.136 for the western web.

01:22 - 56.287 Three million for the spot monitor for him.

01:22 - 58.106 The reason that was reduced

01:22 - 58.781 turned

01:22 - 59.162 to

01:22 - 00.366 Greg to explain

01:23 - 03.546 is because of the reserve and restrictive account.

01:23 - 06.056 The sufficient balance there today

01:23 - 08.636 that I think should should give some comfort to

01:23 - 11.096 what's behind that are not shorting

01:23 - 13.656 or putting somebody at risk unnecessarily

01:23 - 14.946 we've got

01:23 - 16.716 a pretty healthy balance.

01:23 - 17.946 Yeah and the

01:23 - 19.406 discussion last year was

01:23 - 19.976 we.

01:23 - 22.902 Had three years of appropriations of twenty five million

01:23 - 25.496 plus the six to get the thirty one plus the additional

01:23 - 28.926 couple million to make the thirty four the hugest dimension

01:23 - 31.826 with that seventy five total minus

01:23 - 32.606 were

01:23 - 36.896 fifteen million out with fifty nine million balance in there right now

01:23 - 37.436 but

01:23 - 38.996 again the discussion was

01:23 - 41.622 keep adding that appropriation in or use

01:23 - 43.256 those dollars somewhere else

01:23 - 47.246 the fiscal code does allow that once we drop a little twenty five million

01:23 - 50.576 you know that the budget secretary can replenish that fund

01:23 - 52.346 several million at a time

01:23 - 54.656 so having that security there is

01:23 - 56.276 historical to have that

01:23 - 57.686 so to answer your question

01:23 - 01.676 again we spent fifteen million in the last you know almost four years but

01:24 - 02.946 this year

01:24 - 06.236 scale and scope we probably could be eight to ten what we pay out.

01:24 - 07.866 Again

01:24 - 09.975 we don't know like when that would drop but

01:24 - 12.446 we've had that security therefore those dollars

01:24 - 14.156 so hopefully that helps

01:24 - 15.276 give you some security

01:24 - 17.036 or I appreciate it so

01:24 - 18.956 really quick questions of those

01:24 - 21.206 kind of reserve dollars so to speak

01:24 - 21.596 could

01:24 - 26.166 could those be applied to pen bet if there was something that needed to be done

01:24 - 28.416 to help with preparedness

01:24 - 32.606 so yes as far as the all the lab testing supplies and costs

01:24 - 35.126 and to help the farmers pay for their testing

01:24 - 37.496 we are paying those costs right now oh

01:24 - 38.126 okay

01:24 - 40.746 okay thank you very much I appreciate it.

01:24 - 43.776 Thank the gentle lady representative riker.

01:24 - 48.240 Thank you mr chairman secretary it's always a pleasure to say

01:24 - 49.196 thank you

01:24 - 50.466 as a

01:24 - 51.782 represent of baker and others had

01:24 - 53.441 imagined it's always a pleasure to see

01:24 - 55.226 at our county fairs I think

01:24 - 57.806 you joined me at the Franklin county fair back

01:24 - 59.616 this past summer.

01:24 - 04.256 We we just cut a ribbon on a brand new show barn and in a lot of that money was

01:25 - 05.696 was privately funded

01:25 - 08.306 but you know the department of ag

01:25 - 13.116 and the four million dollar appropriations that that you have to support

01:25 - 16.166 our county fairs I think there's over one hundred across

01:25 - 19.176 one hundred county and local fairs throughout the commonwealth.

01:25 - 23.012 Could you explain how the department supports our county and local fairs through

01:25 - 25.076 capital improvement and operational grads

01:25 - 28.351 and how such funding is administered and reviewed

01:25 - 30.806 for program compliance yeah thank you and you

01:25 - 34.286 you've got this beautiful Franklin county has this beautiful

01:25 - 35.906 livestock aren't so

01:25 - 37.628 great great to be there good to see three

01:25 - 40.686 generations of the riker family as well thank you.

01:25 - 43.496 A couple of things we have a fair advisory board

01:25 - 44.826 to the department

01:25 - 48.186 as noted we've got four million dollars this year to.

01:25 - 50.246 Dedicate to to the fares

01:25 - 53.516 we allocate that in a couple of categories one

01:25 - 55.556 just be the operations of the fare

01:25 - 00.786 that's important just as sustain sustain their operations in and out of the.

01:26 - 05.316 Four million that's about two point three billion that goes just to the operations.

01:26 - 06.836 Then we have

01:26 - 08.966 capital projects like your livestock

01:26 - 12.416 so that's about two hundred seventy thousand

01:26 - 13.686 this past year

01:26 - 15.866 and then the youth organizations

01:26 - 18.666 at ninety two the f a

01:26 - 20.034 at eighty nine and

01:26 - 20.426 f.

01:26 - 23.586 Four h two hundred and forty four you put it together you get four million

01:26 - 27.146 know the allowable costs allowable expenses answers within the

01:26 - 29.636 the fair fund right which is legally set

01:26 - 32.426 and then administered through an advice by

01:26 - 34.326 the parent vice report.

01:26 - 36.626 With executive like you said I know

01:26 - 39.266 my my family's involved with our county fair and

01:26 - 42.866 it really is a showcase for agriculture it's an opportunity for people who

01:26 - 45.156 who might have moved away from the farmer you know

01:26 - 47.396 maybe a few generations removed from from farming

01:26 - 49.886 so to speak to be able to experience and see it

01:26 - 52.766 and and participate so again thank you

01:26 - 55.390 for your support in the department's support for that we

01:26 - 57.479 proud of affairs that is to say that we did an economic

01:26 - 00.116 impact study last year it was north of a billion dollars

01:27 - 02.736 economic impact of.

01:27 - 03.996 Pennsylvania

01:27 - 05.856 and about.

01:27 - 08.246 Five million visitors

01:27 - 11.096 last year to the fair so it's a big deal it is a huge deal

01:27 - 11.846 thanks sir

01:27 - 13.116 thank you.

01:27 - 19.986 Thank the gentleman.

01:27 - 21.866 Chairman

01:27 - 23.466 push it sky.

01:27 - 34.656 Thank you very much.

01:27 - 37.166 Mr leader thank you so much and

01:27 - 38.606 mr secretary

01:27 - 40.136 it's a great pleasure to

01:27 - 42.636 have you here with us again.

01:27 - 45.896 It's been such a pleasure working with you Greg

01:27 - 48.696 your outstanding staff terrific.

01:27 - 52.157 And it's also been a pleasure working with

01:27 - 54.266 my colleagues on the other side of the aisle

01:27 - 55.826 when it came to aig

01:27 - 59.946 we came together to try to do what was right for the people of Pennsylvania

01:28 - 02.166 and in that process.

01:28 - 05.406 We had the pleasure of working with

01:28 - 06.516 chairwoman.

01:28 - 08.876 Judy schwank senator schwank

01:28 - 10.596 said Vogel.

01:28 - 13.896 My co-chair Danny mao

01:28 - 15.036 and before den

01:28 - 16.776 representative concert.

01:28 - 19.826 So it's been an absolute pleasure working with all of them.

01:28 - 23.076 I'm going to talk to you about.

01:28 - 27.446 This pendant I'm wearing your vest that you were worrying

01:28 - 30.756 and that is that pa preferred symbol

01:28 - 31.586 which means

01:28 - 32.966 we really care about

01:28 - 35.496 our pa products here in Pennsylvania.

01:28 - 39.156 I wonder if you could just give us a little idea

01:28 - 41.856 because I think it's the twentieth year now.

01:28 - 45.636 A little idea of how that pa preferred symbol

01:28 - 50.436 and the programs that you have design we're so grateful for that.

01:28 - 54.626 How's that created an improvement to

01:28 - 56.516 the image of Pennsylvania

01:28 - 58.326 relative to agriculture

01:28 - 00.626 and the programs that we've now developed

01:29 - 01.956 to try to help

01:29 - 03.516 our egg industry.

01:29 - 06.666 Mr chairman first of all let me say thank you.

01:29 - 08.636 For your your your very kind and

01:29 - 10.766 noting the leadership of the committee

01:29 - 11.636 but but

01:29 - 13.226 right right back at you

01:29 - 14.706 it's been amazing

01:29 - 15.176 you've.

01:29 - 17.866 Came to the table as a chairman with

01:29 - 18.529 sort of

01:29 - 20.696 open mind and open arms and

01:29 - 22.176 it's been amazing

01:29 - 24.446 to see what we can do and thank you for your leadership

01:29 - 26.546 believe me it's been my honor I know that.

01:29 - 29.473 We we're going to get you something pa preferred

01:29 - 31.946 that you can wear every single day a bigger pit

01:29 - 32.426 bigger

01:29 - 34.986 maybe maybe a t-shirt or vest.

01:29 - 36.326 Maybe a tattoo or

01:29 - 41.256 oh yeah well I'll tell you.

01:29 - 45.366 But but to say.

01:29 - 49.676 Yeah.

01:29 - 53.076 I know no one expected that one.

01:29 - 54.876 Have.

01:29 - 55.646 A couple of things

01:29 - 56.798 I think it's I think it's

01:29 - 59.106 worth you mentioned twenty years.

01:29 - 00.456 Before

01:30 - 02.096 before pa preferred

01:30 - 03.566 that we had a lot of different

01:30 - 06.786 marketing initiatives but we didn't have a brand

01:30 - 10.616 and the pa preferred as our brand it's it's what we stand for

01:30 - 11.216 it's

01:30 - 13.526 all of Pennsylvania and when you look

01:30 - 16.926 at that simple and you see that symbol

01:30 - 19.236 on a product in the marketplace

01:30 - 20.696 you do two things

01:30 - 22.856 one exactly where it came from

01:30 - 26.106 and you know the content was also Pennsylvania.

01:30 - 28.286 Pa preferred organic

01:30 - 31.016 I think is the other component to that to say

01:30 - 32.786 in that program

01:30 - 34.796 you know both how it was produced

01:30 - 36.116 and where it was produced

01:30 - 39.296 so it's also part of the brand is what people want to know

01:30 - 42.583 about Pennsylvania where'd it come from and who

01:30 - 45.356 who's feeding me right but the the pa preferred

01:30 - 47.696 program now has over one thousand members

01:30 - 49.046 two thousand and forty

01:30 - 50.096 this week

01:30 - 52.742 we started with nothing and have gone to one

01:30 - 55.076 thousand farms for our markets have families

01:30 - 58.586 that is good we've got a marketing campaign statewide that.

01:30 - 02.306 Is out there we've got companies that are carrying it on the products like

01:31 - 04.046 the panel and sisters with

01:31 - 05.316 pa preferred

01:31 - 06.546 organic.

01:31 - 10.288 It was on me but the point is that it's taken investment

01:31 - 13.198 it takes an appropriation it takes a lot of work

01:31 - 15.628 and both commitment by the department

01:31 - 18.368 but also commitment by the industries

01:31 - 19.438 and and and

01:31 - 19.768 and

01:31 - 21.418 members of pa preferred

01:31 - 24.488 that takes a commitment from the consumer.

01:31 - 29.228 For them to find and buy and support that's the connectedness

01:31 - 32.068 that we're trying to make by way of seeing the label

01:31 - 33.568 knowing how it's produced

01:31 - 36.958 see it in the marketplace and available and then purchasing that item so

01:31 - 41.438 that's all the inside what we've done with paper for your leadership so thank you.

01:31 - 44.449 Again it's been a pleasure and I I really get

01:31 - 47.968 excited when I see the pa preferred TV ads yes

01:31 - 49.018 are excellent

01:31 - 52.018 very professional and it really presents the right image

01:31 - 54.208 for Pennsylvania our farmers

01:31 - 59.524 could just end on one other thing if you could just give us a little idea of what our

01:31 - 02.698 farmers are going through because of the tariffs that have been

01:32 - 03.628 you know in

01:32 - 04.868 implementing.

01:32 - 07.478 Yeah it's it's a real.

01:32 - 11.738 It's it's really challenging I be just say there's a lot of upheaval.

01:32 - 15.368 In the marketplace and and I think the.

01:32 - 16.817 Concern.

01:32 - 18.058 Is there

01:32 - 18.358 are

01:32 - 22.088 compounding effects right so it's both the.

01:32 - 25.378 The relationships that are a challenge it's the

01:32 - 30.908 what we saw this week with a fifteen per cent global tariff across the board.

01:32 - 33.178 It's the interrupted markets

01:32 - 35.288 and I used two examples.

01:32 - 38.888 From twenty twenty four twenty twenty five.

01:32 - 40.828 Were down three hundred million

01:32 - 42.538 in agricultural exports

01:32 - 43.258 Pennsylvania

01:32 - 46.268 three hundred million we were at four billion

01:32 - 48.508 and twenty forward three point seven

01:32 - 49.678 of.

01:32 - 51.088 In two thousand and five

01:32 - 52.898 the last market.

01:32 - 54.998 We have shifting.

01:32 - 56.758 Allegiance around the world

01:32 - 00.038 right we saw China didn't buy a single sweeping.

01:33 - 02.409 In the month of of October

01:33 - 05.006 where did they buy them they went to Brazil so

01:33 - 08.918 you've got those issues so to say that it's unsettled

01:33 - 10.298 for sure.

01:33 - 14.338 We have to be very mindful that we're connected to the international marketplace

01:33 - 15.548 every day

01:33 - 17.698 to those relationships and that's why we invited

01:33 - 20.038 thirty eight countries to the pa farm show.

01:33 - 23.248 See who we are let's meet our producer hers

01:33 - 25.558 but on top of that you have

01:33 - 28.418 an increase in prices for.

01:33 - 29.068 Inputs

01:33 - 31.148 equipment fertilizer.

01:33 - 35.048 Half of the fertilizer comes from Ukraine and Russia

01:33 - 36.428 and Belarus.

01:33 - 37.318 So.

01:33 - 41.548 That you talk about exposure in Belarus is alive with Russia in the war with Ukraine

01:33 - 44.788 so you got all those dynamic fix that we're trying to sort through but

01:33 - 48.214 to say to the farm community they're very anxious about it there's going to be a

01:33 - 50.248 direct payment from the federal government for it

01:33 - 51.388 they would much rather

01:33 - 52.528 not have that

01:33 - 54.448 they'd rather have market access

01:33 - 55.618 so there

01:33 - 56.038 are

01:33 - 57.218 concerned

01:33 - 59.938 about it there were trying to advocate for them

01:34 - 01.831 and make sure that we raise that up at every

01:34 - 04.418 point the authorities connect it concerns

01:34 - 06.478 between what's happening with lab our

01:34 - 09.238 what's happening with the markets what's happening with tariffs

01:34 - 11.068 all of that comes to bear

01:34 - 12.968 at the farm level.

01:34 - 13.618 Well

01:34 - 18.238 once again chairman I've talked about various things our doors open

01:34 - 19.768 anything we need to do

01:34 - 22.078 now we're there we're ready to do it

01:34 - 26.048 thank you so very much appreciate thank you thank the gentleman.

01:34 - 27.328 Amateurs any comments

01:34 - 31.688 yes thank you mr chairman very briefly and I would like to.

01:34 - 32.698 I

01:34 - 37.804 Also complementary therapist patient sky on all the hard work he's done for ag we

01:34 - 39.688 truly appreciate your passion for

01:34 - 43.298 Pennsylvania preferred and we'll leave it at that thank you.

01:34 - 44.098 So.

01:34 - 47.428 Mr secretary just as I mentioned in my opening remarks

01:34 - 49.658 the transfers that are occurring.

01:34 - 54.514 Before the animal health and diagnostic commission and the payments to Pennsylvania

01:34 - 56.308 affairs and the Pennsylvania veterans

01:34 - 57.758 veterinary lab

01:34 - 58.708 to the

01:34 - 01.166 pa race horse development trust fund can you

01:35 - 04.568 simply briefly explain why that's occur sorry.

01:35 - 05.888 Yeah so there's a

01:35 - 09.478 there's there's a shift and we've we've moved him over the last couple of years from

01:35 - 13.628 racing over to geo and now moving back from studio to

01:35 - 14.738 to.

01:35 - 16.088 To racing

01:35 - 21.038 just as a side note we talked about fares the fare folks actually prefer the money.

01:35 - 25.928 Fair fun to become out of the racing fun verse studio because it's more secure

01:35 - 26.848 but they're they're

01:35 - 30.328 just a budget office has made decisions about where to shift and where to fund

01:35 - 32.718 they put about fifteen million dollars back on

01:35 - 34.888 the racing that was in gg of last year as you note

01:35 - 37.288 there were some concerns I guess with the

01:35 - 37.678 the

01:35 - 40.358 the the resource development funds.

01:35 - 42.248 Decreasing.

01:35 - 44.300 Because this is occurring I assume that

01:35 - 46.178 it's doing better now.

01:35 - 47.949 Well it is certainly.

01:35 - 52.138 It's part of the one hundred and eighty million or so

01:35 - 53.968 that's in the race horse development

01:35 - 55.948 so I think that's been fairly stable

01:35 - 58.208 okay so these dollars would would would come

01:35 - 00.418 out of that balance that's there for racing

01:36 - 02.398 and then just looking at the overall

01:36 - 05.168 budget proposal that the governor put forward.

01:36 - 07.090 Do you have any concerns with that or are there

01:36 - 09.778 any things that that you would change change or

01:36 - 13.598 request differently than what's in front of us right now.

01:36 - 21.218 Would require not not to change anything I think the sensitivity to two things one is.

01:36 - 24.728 Clearly without a compliment increase

01:36 - 26.728 you've got to find efficiency somewhere

01:36 - 27.268 right

01:36 - 28.798 as we heard today

01:36 - 31.798 it's new new initiatives around high-pass AI are

01:36 - 34.018 taken on farm succession planning

01:36 - 38.548 being sensitive to what our I t infrastructure is

01:36 - 39.998 and the ability for the

01:36 - 41.258 for the department

01:36 - 43.957 in the absence of new people to invest in

01:36 - 46.708 technology that allow for online payments and

01:36 - 50.348 inspection platform to communicate current platforms.

01:36 - 51.628 So that would be

01:36 - 54.038 that would be my asking too.

01:36 - 55.112 Would be just the

01:36 - 56.698 sensitivity to

01:36 - 58.528 the the other

01:36 - 59.798 departments

01:36 - 01.648 where we we intersect with them

01:37 - 02.488 so.

01:37 - 04.148 As an example.

01:37 - 06.538 What what dcd does

01:37 - 08.758 relative to investments in

01:37 - 09.718 no noted here

01:37 - 12.598 today about where we need agricultural investments

01:37 - 13.108 right

01:37 - 16.258 we do that in Illinois with workforce training

01:37 - 18.538 those other departments and funds can all

01:37 - 20.608 go a long way to really help us so

01:37 - 21.818 that the two areas

01:37 - 23.188 ity and investments

01:37 - 26.458 and then just intersect with other agencies and make it easy to

01:37 - 27.848 apply

01:37 - 28.978 and

01:37 - 31.348 support agricultural enterprises I'll say

01:37 - 33.268 to the other the other agencies

01:37 - 33.958 okay

01:37 - 35.078 alright that

01:37 - 35.338 they

01:37 - 36.968 like it.

01:37 - 38.518 Thank the chairman and

01:37 - 42.518 thank the secretary thank you so much for joining us today

01:37 - 43.628 for

01:37 - 48.218 our budget hearing and thank all of the members for the questions

01:37 - 52.838 and we will conclude this budget hearing and

01:37 - 55.088 we'll be back at.

01:37 - 57.098 Three and twenty five.

01:37 - 59.168 Where we will have.

01:37 - 01.628 The department of insurance

01:38 - 02.918 and penny

01:38 - 05.308 for our last budget hearing of the day

01:38 - 06.638 thank you mr secretary

01:38 - 07.168 thank you

01:38 - 07.802 I'm sure

01:38 - 08.308 thank you

01:38 - 09.998 thank you.

01:38 - 38.448 And.