HELLAM – Governor Josh Shapiro and Department of Agriculture Acting Secretary Russell Redding toured Flinchbaugh’s Orchard and Farm Market in York Co, highlighting the Governor’s plans to make critical investments in the future of Pennsylvania agriculture through funding to protect valuable farmland, further agricultural emergency preparedness and response, and expand organic farming through the Commonwealth. Pennsylvania’s agriculture sector is a major economic driver for the Commonwealth, contributing $132 billion a year to the economy and making up 1 in 10 jobs in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is also third in the nation for organic sales, with more than $1 billion in sales last year and more than 1,100 certified organic farms across the Commonwealth – and Governor Shapiro’s budget proposed a $1 million investment for the creation of a new Organic Center of Excellence to build on Pennsylvania’s history of organic leadership
