HARRISBURG — Gov. Josh Shapiro has announced $10 million in grants through the nation’s first Agricultural Innovation Grant Program have been awarded, including to companies in Bradford and Emporium.
This funding will help Pennsylvania agricultural businesses adopt innovative technologies and practices to enhance conservation and implement clean energy solutions — boosting profits, protecting soil and water resources, and generating more clean, renewable energy.
“Our farmers form the backbone of our economy here in Pennsylvania — they put food on our tables and in our stores and restaurants every day. If we want to compete and succeed as a Commonwealth, then we have to invest in them,” said Shapiro. “We are announcing investments in game-changing projects that are fueling the future of farming in Pennsylvania — and giving farmers and ag producers the tools they need to get ahead. The future of our economic success and opportunity runs through our farmlands, and we are going to continue to invest in agricultural innovation in my administration.”
Locally, Emporium Hardwoods Operating Co. in Cameron County received $130,000 for implementation of Artificial Intelligence-based trim optimization technology.
In McKean County, Bradford Forest received $130,000 for modernizing kilns for wood product manufacturing.
Shapiro announced a total of 88 awardees from 45 counties, representing 31 Pennsylvania-produced commodities and 40 areas of innovation. Grants will reimburse expenses for project planning and implementation, as well as larger-scale projects with a regional impact. These projects include technologies that improve efficiency, generate energy while reducing nutrient waste, and support crops that store carbon or replace non-renewable resources.
The Agricultural Innovation Grant Program is a key element of Shapiro’s Economic Development Strategy, which positions agriculture alongside life sciences, manufacturing, robotics, technology, and energy as vital drivers of Pennsylvania’s long-term economic success.
The Shapiro Administration has continued to recognize Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry is key to the Commonwealth’s economic development and has prioritized investments in agriculture.
