On September 14, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing up to $2.8 billion in 70 selected projects under the first pool of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity, including 19 projects that applicants indicate will benefit the state of Pennsylvania.

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

Among the 19 projects benefiting Pennsylvania are--

-- Expanding the Family Forest Carbon Program - American Forest Foundation, Women Owning Woodlands, The Nature Conservancy.  $35 million

-- Farmers For Soil Health Climate Smart Commodities Partnership - National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.  $95 million

-- Mid-Atlantic Conservation Innovation Fund Climate-Smart Commodities Project - Stroud Water Research Center, TeamAg, RedBarn Consulting, Alliance for Chesapeake Bay.  $25 million

-- Expanding Agroforestry Production & Markets - The Nature Conservancy.  $60 million

-- Climate-smart Agriculture that is profitable, Regenerative, Actionable, and Trustworthy (CARAT) – Penn State University. $25 million.

-- Connected Ag Climate-Smart Commodities Pilot Project – Farm Journal. $40 million.

-- Quantifying the Potential to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Increase Carbon Sequestration by Growing and Marketing Climate-Smart Commodities in the Southern Piedmont – Rodale Institute.  $25 million.

-- Climate-Smart Farming & Marketing: Engaging in Community-Science – PASA Sustainable Agriculture.  $55 million

Click Here for the complete list of projects.

Visit the NRCS-PA webpage to learn more about assistance available to landowners.

Related Articles:

-- Conservation Innovation Fund, Agriculture Industry Partners Awarded $25 Million USDA Grant To Pay Farmers For Their Stewardship To Improve Water Quality, Reduce Carbon  [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Farming: $900 Million USDA Funded Climate Projects To Benefit Pennsylvania

-- PASA Sustainable Agriculture Awarded $55 Million To Advance Climate-Smart Farming, Marketing

-- Centre Daily Times: USDA Will Give Penn State $25 Million To Work With PA Dairy Farmers On Combating Climate Change

[Posted: September 14, 2022]

9/19/2022