00:00 - Alright.

00:01 - Very good well I want to thank everybody for being here

00:04 - and for joining us here to

00:06 - talk about

00:07 - you know everything going on with the frost and

00:09 - welcome to the south mountain fruit belt course

00:12 - and here at three Springs fruit farm my family's operation.

00:15 - Goes back nearly two hundred years

00:17 - in this general area on the southern generation to farm and are f family.

00:21 - Also here three Springs apple harvest has begun.

00:24 - Such as it is

00:26 - on you know a harvest numbers are down significantly

00:29 - or we're still looking at

00:30 - probably twenty five percent of a full crop is what we're hopeful for.

00:34 - Certainly a lot of quality concerns

00:37 - in addition to that as a result of the frost

00:39 - and

00:40 - in a very frustrating way the apples are very scattered in

00:42 - terms the effect of the frosh who have pockets here that

00:45 - have fruit pockets here that don't

00:47 - so if

00:48 - you're seeing fruit there's plenty of fruit around but

00:50 - it's it's really about a quarter of what we expect.

00:53 - So what fruit we have

00:55 - ah we've been really prioritizing for our

00:57 - farmers market or direct to consumer sales penn

00:59 - state of Pennsylvania is actually the second.

01:02 - Largest state in terms of direct to consumer

01:04 - sales in the united states we're proud

01:06 - to carry that tradition across but

01:08 - you know consumer

01:09 - communication has been an issue to to talk to our customers

01:12 - about the results of this frost and our farmers'

01:15 - markets have been down this year as a result of the

01:18 - lack of fruit that people are expecting we have

01:20 - been able to maintain our staff here but we have

01:23 - made the decision to reduce our age to a

01:26 - guest worker contract from fifteen to four.

01:30 - So you know this

01:32 - is going to have a ripple effect.

01:34 - Cross the whole of our community including you know all the nascent industries that

01:38 - that depend on on that flux of workers although the restaurants the services that

01:43 - that those workers are expected to to provide here

01:46 - is going to have a lot of long ranging

01:48 - effects across our our agricultural community.

01:52 - And while

01:53 - sales of our alcoholic cider are up for this counter year

01:56 - it's a very uncertain time as far as access to fruit.

02:00 - In terms of the specific types of fruit that we like to make our cider with is.

02:04 - Is a really hard to come by

02:07 - and we have a lot of things we need to figure out on the cider side of things

02:12 - but at the same time like we're really

02:14 - grateful for the the fruit growing community we have we're a resilient bunch.

02:18 - We organize we got together

02:20 - we're working together with our local government with our state government

02:23 - ah with our crop insurance adjusters of the folks

02:26 - at army on the federal level been very helpful

02:28 - and we that work continues and certainly it's my honor to introduce a governor she

02:33 - here to talk a little bit more about those things

02:35 - thank you thanks.

02:39 - Thank you Ben and thank you to you and and your pot

02:43 - who bow as a walking billboard for your great cider

02:46 - over there.

02:48 - Thanks for walking me through here

02:49 - today I know this has been an incredibly

02:52 - challenging and and busy spring and summer for you.

02:56 - I would note

02:57 - that you didn't even have time to get a haircut over the last

03:00 - few months here but in all sincerity.

03:04 - We appreciate you and and appreciate.

03:07 - The leadership role that you have played here and appreciate the way offered farmers

03:12 - have come together in these really challenging times

03:15 - got a lot to say about that but first

03:17 - a dude just want to begin.

03:19 - By addressing the the tragedy in Carlisle.

03:23 - Last night and

03:24 - it was a late night for many of us there was a

03:27 - tragedy at the Carlisle airport where a small airplane

03:32 - crashed into a helicopter that was carrying two

03:36 - Pennsylvania state troopers

03:38 - I'm pleased to be able to report this morning

03:40 - the corporal corpsman.

03:42 - Who I spent time with him and his family

03:45 - last night he was in good spirits relatively

03:47 - speaking and he has been discharged and we are grateful for that

03:52 - he's got a long road

03:53 - ahead of him

03:54 - but he has the love and support of not just the Pennsylvania state police but all

03:59 - thirteen million pennsylvanians who I know join me and Laurie

04:02 - in prayer for him and his family last night

04:05 - in addition a corporate corman trooper mills remains

04:09 - in the hospital at hers hey medical.

04:13 - He is there under observation he continues to recover

04:16 - and am according to the doctor hers the prognosis is quite good

04:20 - so we appreciate.

04:22 - That you will continue to pray for him and his

04:25 - family and we expect that he will be released soon

04:29 - earlier today

04:30 - cumberland county coroner announced the name

04:33 - of that cessna one fifty

04:35 - pilot

04:35 - Paul sokoloski is his name and I hope

04:40 - you will join me in sending our thoughts and our prayers

04:43 - to his family who I know are mourning and in grieving

04:48 - at this time

04:49 - it was an example last night

04:52 - of how a community comes together in tragedy

04:55 - and while the circumstances are obviously quite different

04:58 - today we're here to talk about

05:00 - another community coming together

05:03 - our agriculture community together with government at all levels

05:07 - to try and deal with again a quite different

05:10 - challenge in crisis but one that

05:12 - has really impacted a broad swath.

05:15 - Of Pennsylvania

05:17 - I really again want to though thank Ben and I knocked him for the haircut earlier but

05:21 - I want to thank Ben for having us here at three Springs

05:24 - fruit farm and it matters to us that

05:27 - he not only welcomed us here today but that he

05:30 - and others have taken the time to educate us on the challenges so that we could meet

05:34 - this moment together

05:36 - we're really grateful for your family's help

05:38 - over the last couple of months

05:40 - as our administration has worked with fruit growers to respond

05:43 - to one of the worst

05:44 - fruit freezes in a generation devastating crops that were just

05:49 - beginning to bloom in April.

05:51 - My administration under the leadership

05:53 - of the great and I want to emphasize great

05:57 - agriculture secretary Russell Redding who joins

05:59 - us here today and really who's been with us

06:02 - every step of the way in this process

06:04 - we've spent a lot of time listening

06:07 - to growers but the hardships

06:09 - that they expected to go through and are now

06:11 - going through both over the last few months and in the months to come

06:16 - and thinking about how we can best help them get through it

06:20 - the wang family along with Sarah Zoe's two you'll hear

06:22 - from in a moment the president state horticultural

06:26 - association of Pennsylvania

06:28 - and all the growers who join us here today while they have been

06:31 - invaluable voices in providing the insight and connecting us

06:36 - with farmers and others who are impacted across

06:39 - Pennsylvania growers

06:40 - like Ben in his family who are hoping for a bountiful

06:43 - harvest in the summer and fall now expect to lose a majority of

06:47 - their crops we were talking with Ben's pop

06:50 - earlier that they basically were left with give or take

06:53 - about ten percent of their crops and it is

06:57 - obviously just devastating economic quickly and devastating

07:01 - to this wonderful family

07:03 - three Springs farms like many others have seen sales

07:06 - on many of their crops including their peaches plummet this season

07:10 - and obviously.

07:12 - Their apple crop was devastated as well.

07:15 - Our farmers are facing very real

07:18 - challenges every day even beyond

07:21 - the freeze from workforce issues to

07:23 - closing markets as a result of these tariffs to just the cost of

07:27 - doing business going up because of inflation and then the layer on top of that

07:31 - this kind of sudden and and really almost historic level

07:35 - freezes that we experienced in April it just makes it

07:39 - much much harder or to recoup their losses

07:41 - and while I know many farmers are still conducting damage assessments we won't

07:45 - truly know the impact we know that the impact.

07:50 - Harvest

07:51 - will be.

07:56 - Literally from

07:57 - that evening

07:58 - when the temperatures plummeted and when the secretary then

08:02 - alerted me to this freeze back in April we knew we had to move quickly

08:06 - to support our farmers

08:08 - we immediately called on the u s t eight issue a statewide

08:11 - disaster declaration

08:13 - wow which allows us to speed up the damage assessments

08:16 - and then drive out

08:17 - the dollars to help our farmers more quickly

08:20 - faster assessments mean growers with crop insurance

08:23 - can file claims more quickly and get relief faster.

08:27 - Ben's father was talking to me about how that process

08:29 - worked pretty smoothly

08:31 - for them.

08:33 - I communicated directly in those immediate

08:36 - days

08:37 - in the aftermath of the freeze with secretary rollins

08:40 - of the us department of agriculture and

08:42 - thanks to our collective advocacy democrats Republicans

08:47 - state and local officials farmers of course

08:51 - thanks to that collective advocacy we got the eu sta to issue

08:55 - an initial disaster declaration

08:58 - making low interest loans available and providing additional support for growers

09:02 - in twenty four Pennsylvania counties

09:05 - back in July.

09:07 - That was obviously a crucial step

09:09 - in the right direction but we did not stop there because we wanted to make sure

09:13 - that all all of our fruit growers

09:15 - had access to every bit of assistance

09:18 - we continued to push our federal partners to extend that relief to more growers

09:23 - and just last week I'm pleased to be able to report the u s t a extended

09:27 - that disaster declaration to fifty eight

09:30 - of our Pennsylvania counties all of them

09:32 - who were impact did

09:34 - I want to take a

09:35 - moment of personal privilege here to thank secretary rollins she and I have

09:39 - a very good working relationship and obviously

09:41 - secretary reading does with her team as well

09:44 - as she stepped up here

09:45 - this is how government is supposed to work not just in a

09:48 - bipartisan way but working together

09:51 - at the federal and state level

09:52 - to be able to meet the need odds of the people who are impacted

09:56 - by tragedy and by challenge

09:58 - when I visited cherry hill orchards and heard firsthand

10:02 - from the losses

10:03 - they expected to face just a few months ago

10:06 - I made a promise to all of you

10:07 - I said that our administration would move quickly

10:11 - and we would explore every single option at

10:13 - our disposal to help get through this crisis

10:16 - and that is what we have done

10:18 - to date I wanted to come back to this farm to announce

10:22 - that my administration is now making ten million dollars

10:25 - immediately available

10:26 - through our new freeze disaster assistance recovery

10:30 - Grant program

10:31 - working especially working in a bipartisan way but especially pally

10:35 - with our egg chair senators Vogel and shrank in the senate

10:39 - and represents mal and patient sky who join us

10:42 - here today the two chairman of the ag committees

10:45 - in the state house of representatives

10:48 - together with your local representative

10:50 - representative wall in who joins us here today

10:53 - we all work together

10:54 - to be able to put in the budget that I signed

10:57 - recently much needed relief to our fruit growers

11:00 - I need you to understand that that ten million dollar initial investment

11:04 - in helping our fruit farmers get through this

11:07 - is.

11:09 - There is no other state in the country

11:12 - that has a similar fund we came together

11:15 - to step up for our farmers in their time of need

11:18 - we made this a collective priority

11:20 - I'm proud of how Pennsylvania came together to do this

11:24 - how's it going to work starting on Monday

11:26 - the department of agriculture under secretary readings leadership

11:29 - will begin to accept applications for growers

11:33 - in all sixty seven counties

11:34 - who are fed acted by freezing temperatures in April

11:37 - and expect to lose thirty percent at least of

11:40 - apples pears peaches

11:42 - cherries grapes or Berry crops that they planted

11:45 - this year.

11:47 - The application period will be open

11:48 - through September twenty first

11:51 - you can see we're moving very quickly here

11:53 - we hope to drive out the grants imedi lately thereafter

11:56 - closing

11:57 - in time to reach farmers' pockets by the harvest season

12:01 - look I know this is not going to cover all of

12:04 - the losses but hopefully combined with insurance

12:08 - and other means of support

12:10 - we hope that this can make a difference

12:12 - we recognize that there is a long road ahead

12:14 - ed and we're going to be there with you

12:17 - every step of the way

12:18 - I'm inspired by folks like the winx

12:21 - who have remained resilient in tough times

12:24 - just hearing the strength of our farmers they're not

12:27 - saying woe is me they're looking forward and trying to figure out

12:30 - how we can

12:32 - make progress here and how we can figure out

12:35 - a way through this challenge

12:36 - and I think they've inspired all of us

12:39 - and they deserve all of us to continue to listen

12:42 - to them and to fight to make sure

12:45 - that these incredibly important businesses here in

12:48 - Pennsylvania that are so crucial for our economy

12:51 - that they stay afloat and that they have

12:54 - exactly what they need

12:56 - farms like this

12:57 - will not just important parts of the heritage

13:00 - of our commonwealth many of them

13:02 - seventh eighth ninth tenth generation of the same family owns it

13:06 - but they're critically important to our economy today

13:10 - they are critically important to the future

13:12 - of this commonwealth and are critically important

13:15 - to our way of life

13:17 - I'm proud of the fact that Pennsylvania ranks

13:19 - fourth in apples and grapes and peaches were second

13:22 - when it comes to direct consumer

13:24 - sales I'm pretty competitive I'd like us to be first in that category

13:28 - we're going to keep working hard to do that and you're going to continue to have

13:31 - a state government and a governor

13:33 - who's got your back and support you every step of the way way

13:36 - we're grateful for our fruit growers in the example that they set

13:40 - and the inspiring example that they set that has caused all of us to be here today

13:45 - and all of us to work together

13:47 - to make this happen

13:49 - know that I've got your back

13:51 - and know that I'm going to continue to stand with you

13:53 - every step of the way

13:55 - and I know you will reach return stronger than ever

13:58 - it's now my pleasure

14:00 - to introduce Sarah zos the president of the

14:02 - state horticultural association in Pennsylvania

14:05 - for some remarks you'll hear from the other speakers here and then I'll return

14:08 - and take a few of your questions thank you all very much

14:10 - sir

14:11 - huh.

14:22 - Good morning my name is Sarah zest and the president

14:25 - of the state horticultural association of Pennsylvania

14:28 - I'm also a fourth generation Franco or from right here in Adams county.

14:32 - Fruit growers are resilient in the last decade we've persevered after frost drought

14:38 - hail hurricanes and flooding.

14:40 - This age April

14:41 - summer like temperatures plummeted to the teens and low twenties

14:45 - devastating our production of all tree fruit crops

14:48 - that's unprecedented.

14:50 - Right now we're at the peak of peach and apple

14:52 - harvest that many orchards have little or no fruit.

14:55 - The fruit grower free

14:57 - fruit grower freeze disaster assistance recovery grants are a lifeline for sure

15:01 - juggling farms while our season is still ongoing.

15:04 - That ten million dollars in aid will be put to work immediately

15:08 - to cover payroll to bring in the rest of our apple harvest

15:10 - to cover necessary expenses for tree care

15:13 - and to keep our basic bills paid.

15:16 - Farms have cut expenses to the bare minimum to stretch our limited incomes.

15:21 - Growers have cut their own pay tax cut work hours

15:24 - laid off employees

15:25 - and made hard decisions about caring for

15:27 - their orchards based on what they can afford.

15:30 - You see orchard are perennial crops and require

15:33 - special care year round to produce a quality crap

15:36 - it's impossible to walk away from an orchard

15:38 - penn state extension has kept us informed of what must be done

15:41 - even without a crap and that care requires money

15:44 - regardless of whether we have a crap or not.

15:48 - Thank you governor shapiro for your lightning fast advocacy for our industry

15:52 - your rapid request for a secretarial disaster designation for the commonwealth

15:56 - was ahead of neighboring states we just got an update this morning at least

16:00 - you all knew before we did.

16:02 - That additional primary and contiguous counties

16:04 - have been added due to freeze and frost damage.

16:07 - Thank you for working with the legislator to support us in the state budget.

16:11 - Shat members throughout the state contacted their legislators to share the freeze

16:15 - impacts and the resulting difficulties.

16:18 - Many legislators were quick to share their support

16:20 - like representatives Dan Maryland Catherine while inherent Adams county

16:24 - and gravity inefficient sky.

16:26 - Some had to have ongoing conversations with growers to address their questions and

16:30 - concerns and growers took the time to make that happen

16:33 - and governor shapiro secretary reading

16:35 - and legislators visited growers on their farms to see the fruit losses in person.

16:39 - Thank you to everyone for coming together to secure

16:42 - the ten million dollars in aid for our industry

16:45 - it was heartening when gov

16:46 - shapiro called me to share that the aid was included in the budget

16:49 - help was on the way.

16:51 - This Grant aid program is the combination of a swift

16:54 - and comprehensive response from our state government

16:57 - this money will help growers navigate this devastating year

17:00 - and is a great first step to help us make it to a

17:01 - bountiful harvest in two thousand and twenty seven.

17:05 - It is now my honor to invite secretary riding up to speak

17:08 - in addition to creating and administering this Grant program he and the team at Pete

17:12 - the pa department of agriculture

17:13 - have advocated for our needs with federal agencies

17:16 - and lead a multistate effort to request federal assistance from members of congress

17:21 - we are so lucky to have him as our advocate

17:23 - secretary reading.

17:25 - Hi.

17:30 - Sarah thank you I was waiting for you to pull out your map.

17:34 - That shit she has been tracking the number of counties

17:37 - that have designation as a disaster designation so

17:40 - you have it with you.

17:42 - Thank you.

17:44 - I gotta.

17:46 - Go.

17:47 - She was watching some more counties that

17:50 - left

17:51 - a few there but thank you

17:53 - to Sarah and chap has been really amazing what you

17:56 - need when these things happen have a really strong

17:59 - organization structure and people to rally and come together and

18:03 - we have phone calls with penang they just wanna give a shout out to the

18:07 - to the team that came together within days

18:09 - to make this point about

18:11 - the devastation that we were seeing and what was on the ground or

18:14 - not

18:14 - on the trees and

18:16 - you know our penn state team and raise the hand of all the penn state

18:20 - fruit

18:21 - extension research center

18:23 - to.

18:23 - Ahead so.

18:25 - I get in these kind of disasters are reminded of just where your assets are

18:31 - right and they reveal things to us good and.

18:34 - Bad sometimes but I think in our case where

18:36 - we had this amazing sort of fruit

18:38 - extension research center

18:40 - that's here every day trying to figure out.

18:42 - What

18:43 - grows here how to grow it better or

18:45 - how to address the issues of

18:47 - production and in this case

18:49 - were really really helpful and dr Webber thank you

18:52 - for those early letters

18:54 - and support thank you

18:55 - one of the key points and I'm reminded as the governor

18:58 - was talking about the request to secretary rollins

19:01 - is it unusual to have industry support letters to

19:04 - go with a governor's law letter to the secretary

19:07 - of us

19:07 - and that happened

19:08 - and we had that from growers we had from businesses we had it from.

19:12 - Our penn state team and many many others

19:15 - that added their own voice to the importance of

19:19 - the industry of course but also the need for some immediate.

19:23 - Action as well so thank you for that.

19:25 - Pasa and penang and farm bureau and

19:28 - the teams that came together thank you for.

19:31 - All of your your work.

19:33 - Always humbled when you stand on a farm it's seven generations.

19:38 - Preserved as well here at Adams county.

19:41 - You realize that it's not simply.

19:44 - Just another farm it's a

19:45 - laugh a generation is going to be here forever so thank you to

19:49 - the lang family for that dedication as well today haven't been

19:53 - a whole team

19:54 - to the governor's always always good to to be with you to stand with you you

19:58 - you say often I've I've got your back I feel that way

20:02 - I always will be I just really feel like there's a

20:04 - there's a

20:05 - understand ending of just the importance of agriculture to both

20:08 - this county and in this state and nation and you

20:11 - demonstrate that every day in your work so thank you for that

20:14 - but today is also about.

20:18 - You're following through and I think the

20:20 - discussions we had as the governor and others have noted

20:23 - I think the.

20:25 - Quick response but also the the recognition that.

20:29 - This was

20:30 - this was not.

20:32 - Normal this was really an extraordinary

20:34 - event and we responded

20:36 - but today is also about delivering on a pro miss.

20:39 - When we stood in the.

20:41 - Corey cleese

20:42 - orchards in in may and looked and surveyed

20:45 - we understood the damage that was done

20:49 - and as noted by the game.

20:51 - On a call yesterday with all of the states from the chateau to the Hudson

20:56 - all of them recognize the significance of

20:59 - this disaster assistance the others are still trying

21:03 - and some are looking exclusively to

21:05 - the federal government to make that.

21:07 - Investment and respond and here we've done it together

21:11 - both with state

21:12 - resources and federal resources.

21:14 - In that distinction for me

21:16 - it's really important because it's fundamental to

21:18 - understanding sort of how we view agriculture in Pennsylvania.

21:23 - We don't just talk about how important it is

21:26 - when the farms are hurting we stand.

21:28 - Together

21:29 - we step up Emily act

21:31 - and while we can't control the weather and certainly the temperatures we can control

21:35 - how we respond

21:38 - and that's what you see today

21:39 - we can make sure that when the weather changes and everything

21:42 - for the farmer changes the farmers don't

21:44 - face those consequences alone

21:47 - and that's what real leadership looks like

21:49 - it's what's expected of us and we are proud to be here

21:52 - today to demonstrate that.

21:55 - Until the governor thank you for recognizing

21:57 - the ext the ordinary circumstances of the freeze

22:00 - and meeting them with an extraordinary action.

22:03 - Of.

22:04 - Your always understanding the investment in the farm today.

22:08 - Is also an investment in Pennsylvania's food system.

22:11 - The economy in the communities across.

22:14 - Across our state

22:15 - and for making sure that farmers know

22:18 - that when disaster strikes Pennsylvania will stand

22:21 - with them.

22:22 - We know that farmers

22:23 - spend a lifetime growing an orchard

22:26 - and as we witness this spring it can take just one night

22:29 - for that to be shattered

22:32 - but there is something more important to remember.

22:35 - About these workers.

22:37 - You look at them and you see the branches that.

22:40 - Where the fruit may be lost you see the blossoms that will never mature

22:45 - but beneath the ground or the roots.

22:50 - Those roots represent generations of investment of hard work and commitment

22:55 - and Pennsylvania agriculture has deep roots.

22:58 - Those roots run through our farm

23:00 - families through the rural communities

23:02 - they run through our food system the economy

23:05 - and they are part of our identity as a commonwealth.

23:09 - Al responsibility

23:11 - is to help protect the roots.

23:14 - When a fruit grower loses a crop the impact.

23:17 - Doesn't end with the farm gate.

23:20 - I mentioned things are revealed to us in these disasters

23:24 - this is one of them that the reach

23:26 - hits are farm workers who depend on the harvest.

23:29 - The reach also hits the businesses that sell equipment the service

23:33 - and supplies

23:34 - it reaches the processors and packers and markets

23:37 - and restaurants

23:39 - in all of the small business that depend on

23:41 - and really like Pennsylvania grown product.

23:45 - It reaches communities where agriculture is not just an industry

23:49 - but a way of life.

23:50 - The April freeze

23:52 - took something from Pennsylvania farmers

23:55 - but the roots are still there.

23:57 - These grants as the governor announced.

24:01 - Or about helping to protect those roots

24:03 - because we will protect the roots Pennsylvania agriculture

24:07 - were stronger and we grow together.

24:09 - In Pennsylvania agriculture is strong

24:12 - Pennsylvania is strong.

24:13 - So worried about that the the grass or just to say

24:16 - that we have moved with dispatch to make sure that the grants are ready

24:21 - the notices have been published the application will be available beginning

24:24 - Monday it's being published in Pennsylvania bulletin on Saturday we have committed

24:29 - as we have done with a high path avian influenza very similar

24:33 - response

24:34 - is to make sure that we turn those applications around

24:37 - quickly

24:38 - to the growers please

24:40 - apply to make sure that you you filled out the application completely

24:44 - this is not a first come first serve Grant

24:47 - this is all in

24:48 - and then we're going to do the allocation based on on the ten million

24:51 - but importantly you need a thirty percent loss of crop

24:54 - one of the eligible crops

24:57 - and they include

24:58 - the the pome fruits and stone fruits

25:00 - grapes and berries

25:02 - so think about the trees the vines and bushes that is what's covered

25:06 - in this.

25:08 - Program.

25:09 - It had the the event had to occur between April one and April twenty six

25:14 - I'm sorry April twenty one of twenty six

25:17 - you have to include a map.

25:19 - That will designate where your production is

25:22 - of the eligible crops and of course the total acreage

25:24 - that is being requested so we're anxious to to

25:28 - get this moving

25:30 - we will do everything we can to

25:32 - see that it goes through as quickly as possible to get the money

25:35 - and resources out of Sarah as noted

25:37 - to cover some of those essentials

25:40 - to build that bridge to twenty

25:41 - twenty seven so thank you.

25:44 - As noted

25:45 - we didn't do this alone took a lot of

25:46 - voices and partners and folks recognize does

25:49 - this work and

25:50 - I was privileged to participate in a

25:53 - an egg breakfast with representative violin and represent of

25:57 - a Dan mau early

25:59 - in this

26:00 - issue and we had a very

26:02 - good conversation very honest a lot of angst in that room

26:05 - a lot of concern expressed by both growers.

26:08 - The businesses about the impact of the freeze.

26:11 - It was a pivotal moment

26:13 - because it was

26:14 - a time when they needed reassurance to know

26:17 - that we cared we heard them we're we're going to work at it

26:20 - and we follow with a tour to eldest orchards

26:23 - that really gave us a chance to see the damage firsthand

26:26 - proud to stand with our chairs today and appreciate

26:28 - much

26:29 - of their leadership and always

26:31 - proud

26:32 - to stand with the chairman damn out so damn thank you.

26:39 - Yup.

26:42 - Thank you Russell and

26:44 - thank you governor shapiro

26:46 - and also.

26:48 - Any day percents gay who I will miss he's retiring and

26:52 - unfortunately because this is a team

26:56 - along with Kathy wallen.

26:58 - It's a team

26:59 - and when we come together as a team it's unstoppable it really

27:04 - is amazing how fast

27:06 - how slow things can turn in government

27:08 - and how fast this turn

27:10 - it was just absolutely stunning that we said

27:12 - hey.

27:13 - This has got to be taken care of as Gabby taken care of now

27:17 - and what opened my eyes as secretary writing just

27:20 - for two we

27:21 - did a tour and I I gotta admit here.

27:23 - I

27:24 - Grew up in different types of farm so

27:26 - I need to learn a lot about the fruit industry

27:29 - well

27:30 - out of the vista we

27:32 - some of us took a tour including secretary

27:34 - and up the top of the hill was amazing to see

27:37 - that those trees were doing a little better and they could get some yield out of them

27:41 - then we turned around went down to the bottom of the hill in the valley

27:45 - and what really opened my eyes.

27:47 - Was that he said.

27:50 - Yeah this block right here I normally get about thirty thousand bushels out of this

27:55 - year I'd be lucky to get three thousand bushels

27:58 - I don't think I'm even gonna put pickers in here to get them I'd lose money to do that

28:02 - more so than what he's already losing

28:04 - so when I that registered okay he's losing ninety percent

28:08 - of thirty thousand bushels that will never make it the market

28:12 - never make it to the processor

28:14 - never make it to a store shelf never be put on

28:18 - on one of the trucks that some of our farmers here

28:21 - send down to the cities to do markets in

28:24 - the cities Baltimore Washington Philadelphia

28:26 - yeah they go almost on a daily basis

28:29 - what are they going to haul down there

28:31 - so your brain starts thinking of oh my god

28:34 - the ancillaries to this freeze.

28:37 - Go way deep

28:39 - it's not just here yes we need to take care of our fruit farmers

28:42 - that's where it starts

28:44 - but the ancillaries are going to suffer as well

28:46 - and I pray

28:47 - that they all make it thrill we will because we come together

28:51 - we're a team that the fruit

28:53 - industry the agriculture industry.

28:56 - The governor

28:57 - the secretary we we all work as a team to make this happen

29:01 - and we are going to do our ever living very very best

29:05 - to make sure we keep you guys around here for next year

29:08 - that's our job and we're going to do it we're gonna do it well

29:11 - and I appreciate every single person

29:13 - that was involved in this it's stunning

29:15 - how fast this happen and

29:17 - I will say one thing

29:18 - the secretary he's got a very big job ahead of him and his staff

29:22 - figuring out all these applications and how to make this formula work

29:25 - and I'm glad I'm in the house and not department of agriculture

29:28 - to help figure this out but that's his job

29:30 - and I know he will do it well

29:32 - that I'd like to bring up any day percents gate representative Eddie day per century.

29:40 - Thank you Dan.

29:43 - I think all of you will be very happy to know that the incredible speeches that were

29:48 - that were already presented by the governor by the secretaries

29:52 - and that and

29:53 - my.

29:54 - My co-chaired Danny mao

29:56 - my hour and a half speech has been cut down just to an hour.

30:01 - So.

30:02 - It would be good.

30:05 - Governors reminding me that he has other things he's gotta do.

30:10 - I want to start off by saying

30:12 - take a look around

30:13 - and how blessed are we

30:15 - and I mean that sincerely.

30:18 - In Pennsylvania we are blessed with this incredible state.

30:22 - That has so many incredible resources

30:25 - that we're able to utilize

30:28 - for the development of our as.

30:31 - Society and Pennsylvania.

30:34 - We are very very fortunate.

30:36 - I want to make sure

30:38 - that we do not forget all the people.

30:41 - Who provide all the food for us every single day

30:45 - our farmers

30:46 - and every one that's associated with that operation.

30:50 - Is incredible when you think about it.

30:53 - In Pennsylvania

30:55 - it brings in over one hundred and thirty two billion dollars

30:58 - six hundred thousand jobs and our fruit industry

31:02 - approximately twelve billion dollars.

31:05 - Okay we have a tragedy

31:08 - but you know what.

31:09 - We're coming together and that is the main point

31:13 - we come together we work together to help one another

31:17 - just like those farmers work every day

31:19 - to provide that product

31:21 - so that we can provide the food for our

31:23 - family and ourselves.

31:25 - I want to make sure that.

31:27 - Everyone understand ends

31:29 - that this.

31:30 - This challenge.

31:33 - Just makes us stronger.

31:36 - And we are so fortunate

31:38 - to have.

31:39 - Governor shapiro who quickly.

31:42 - Address this issue

31:44 - we are so so.

31:46 - Thankful

31:48 - and so happy that we have

31:51 - secretary reading.

31:53 - Who has been on this job for decades.

31:57 - A farmer himself he knows this industry inside and out

32:02 - and I don't want anybody to forget.

32:05 - We're also the only state.

32:07 - That has a farm bill.

32:09 - Why.

32:11 - Because a secretary reading

32:13 - because it guy governor shapiro

32:14 - because of all the folks

32:16 - that are involved in our ag community

32:18 - and don't forget our staff

32:19 - we wouldn't be anything without our staff.

32:23 - Why we do why do we have the farm bill to prepare

32:26 - for those emergencies to prepare those things

32:29 - that may occur

32:30 - we are the only state

32:32 - that has that farmville

32:33 - because of the leadership secretary reading

32:37 - governor shapiro

32:39 - and again my pleasure to work with my colleague.

32:42 - My co-chair Dan mouth

32:44 - so all I want you to do is say

32:47 - thank you to these people

32:48 - because they've done a heck of a job let me hear you

32:51 - say thank you.

32:53 - That was not then

32:54 - come a big round of applause give me a big thank you.

32:58 - At one more.

33:00 - Yeah go.

33:02 - Now the star of the show.

33:05 - Our

33:06 - our district a hostess London.

33:11 - Hi everyone

33:13 - and thank you

33:14 - for coming welcome to you all thank you to secretary reading

33:18 - governor shapiro an

33:20 - and I am just excited because you our in my district

33:23 - and this is what we see every day

33:25 - when you leave the district today when when you drive north or south

33:29 - this is what almost the entire one nine ninety third

33:32 - dress district looks like and I am very proud of that.

33:36 - It is an honor for me to be here today

33:39 - in my district and announce the assistance for our orchard growers after the

33:43 - devastating loss this past spring.

33:46 - Our number one industry in Pennsylvania is agriculture

33:49 - and the best part of our state's orchards are here in the one ninety third district.

33:54 - We are blessed to be family to our neighbors

33:57 - and we all know how to jump in and help when our friends are in need.

34:00 - That is what representative mal and I were able to do immediately

34:04 - in the spring after the devastating law loss.

34:07 - Working together with secretary reading

34:09 - and governor governor shapiro.

34:12 - They also made it clear we all had the same goal

34:15 - and that was to get our growers what they needed to recover and come in strong

34:20 - at the end of the growing season and back on track next spring.

34:24 - I believe now with the financial assistance approved

34:27 - in the budget we have accomplished that goal

34:29 - and our growers know without a doubt

34:32 - how much we respect and appreciate the hard work they do every day

34:36 - and the excellent products they provide us.

34:39 - It can take a village sometimes in agriculture

34:43 - but here we know how to put our boots on and get it done.

34:46 - Thank you all again for being here and showing us your support

34:50 - and thank you to the secretary and the governor

34:52 - thank you guys

34:54 - and again.

34:58 - The governor thank you.

35:00 - Thank you.

35:01 - I will do our best to take a few questions

35:04 - Alex where are we.

35:06 - Where we

35:07 - of here.

35:10 - Okay.

35:12 - Alex I get to go.

35:14 - What else to do good question for the governor.

35:18 - The measles outbreak especially likes your county you talk about that older worker

35:22 - and it's mostly moot point nudity are you doing it

35:24 - retail for them.

35:26 - Yeah we've got about three hundred and forty cases in

35:29 - Pennsylvania this year I know you asked about Lancaster which.

35:34 - Includes a lot of them but we've seen it across twenty seven

35:37 - of our counties is

35:39 - the department of

35:39 - health under the great leadership of secretary Deb bogan

35:43 - has administered twenty two hundred

35:46 - vaccines at seventy seven different pop-up clinics.

35:51 - She has taken the approach that

35:52 - she's gotta get out in the community

35:54 - bring these vaccines

35:56 - into different neighborhoods for those

35:59 - who choose to use them

36:00 - there are thirty six more

36:02 - of those clinics planned that you can find on the department

36:05 - of health website and Alex will make sure

36:08 - you have that link this is obviously incredibly serious

36:12 - and we're doing everything we can to empower individuals to have access

36:16 - to the vaccines and protect their family this

36:19 - is your understanding that it isn't the playing community.

36:22 - Again I'll I'll leave that secretary bogan to talk about the specific hotspots I can

36:27 - just tell you we're seeing it across Pennsylvania at an alarming rate

36:31 - and the best way to address this is through vaccine

36:34 - thanks guys.

36:35 - Thank you.

36:36 - Just

36:37 - in keeping with the theme of the day money doesn't grow on trees where exactly is

36:41 - this coming for this money coming from

36:43 - and will the grants be in per acre.

36:47 - In increments

36:48 - I'll let the secretary speak specifically about

36:49 - the grandparent by the way Alex I would have

36:52 - he asked me to guess I'd say there was a

36:53 - one hundred per cent chance Dennis would not

36:55 - have asked and on topic question itself is actually

36:58 - pretty darn impressive.

37:00 - I might even give them a second on topic

37:03 - but not in all sincerity

37:04 - I made it a priority to put it in the budget we negotiated as we do every other

37:10 - line item

37:11 - and there's obviously a finite amount of dollars available and so we made sure that

37:16 - within that finite bucket of dollars

37:18 - ten million would be specific typically earmarked

37:21 - for our fruit farmers

37:23 - through this Grant program and again as you heard me talk about earlier

37:26 - this money's going out

37:28 - immediately we've got a very short window for the application period

37:31 - we want farmers to get their applications in

37:34 - farmers growers others get their applications in

37:36 - quickly and then the secretary will be driving these dollars out

37:39 - by the end of September lemme have him speak more specifically to the program.

37:44 - Governor thank you.

37:45 - We looked at a lot of factors

37:47 - considered sort of varieties and density and

37:50 - acres and

37:51 - insurance and so forth at the end of the day.

37:54 - Really felt like

37:56 - in consultation with the governor's team and

37:58 - legislature that per acre is the most efficient way to do that.

38:04 - Reporting has to be by

38:07 - the type of fruit by acre than total acres is what we're looking at

38:10 - that map to sort of validate that as well but

38:14 - we'll do it all on a per acre basis.

38:18 - We get two hundred five hundred do you have you figured that out we don't so that's

38:21 - going to be key right so the the application

38:23 - period beginning Monday and through

38:25 - September twenty one will

38:26 - take all of those applications at acres and then then do the math

38:30 - basic is ten million.

38:32 - Ten million buddy you anticipating the needs really

38:34 - the requests are going to be more like fifty million

38:36 - is ten million just.

38:38 - Very nice but isn't going to cover all the need or is

38:41 - that

38:42 - not enough well I think they as we've said all along

38:44 - the losses that we saw in April holding pretty true right that's about

38:49 - one hundred and fifty to two hundred million

38:51 - the ten million though it is critical that get some of those

38:55 - fixed costs that you heard

38:57 - Sarah talk about

38:58 - a covered gives some of that out of pocket

39:01 - coverage for

39:02 - care of these trees and the stewardship of the trees.

39:05 - As the governor noted we're still in partnership and discussions with the us yet

39:09 - we feel very strongly that congress in

39:11 - u s d a can still help

39:13 - as they've done with other disasters across the country

39:16 - we're going to keep making that request and

39:18 - certainly hopeful that they will respond

39:21 - particularly with

39:23 - the senate the farm bill still being an open discussion

39:27 - that maybe there's a possibility there as well.

39:30 - That you.

39:31 - Just want to make one final comment about this

39:33 - it is important to note Pennsylvania

39:36 - is the only state in the nation

39:38 - with a farmville Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation

39:41 - with an egg innovation fund

39:43 - Pennsylvania is the only state

39:45 - in the a nation when high path avian influenza crashed into our commonwealth

39:51 - who set up a fund to allow our poultry farmers

39:53 - to be able to get back up on their feet and now

39:55 - Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation

39:58 - with such a fund for our fruit farmers

40:01 - why why do I share that with you it's because we prioritize eg

40:05 - we prioritize our fruit farm or our farmers scuse me

40:08 - and we work together in a bipartisan basis to make sure there are dollars available

40:13 - at the state level

40:14 - to invest in those important priorities

40:17 - that speaks to who we all are what our entire

40:21 - viewpoint is when it comes to ag and I think it sets Pennsylvania apart

40:25 - from all of the other states in the nation

40:27 - and that should be a point of pride for all of us thank you all very much.