Lehigh Times

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and the departments of Community and Economic Development and Agriculture announced $293,070 in new funding will go to Pasa Sustainable Agriculture for the Diversified Vegetable Pre-Apprenticeship and Diversified Vegetable Apprenticeship programs.

A conference was held in Landisburg Aug. 30 to announce the funds, which are through the state’s Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Grant Program, according to a news release. It will allow Pasa to partner with six farmer training programs to train five pre-apprentices each year for three years. There will also be five registered apprentices each year.

“Through this funding, Pasa will be able to provide training for diversified vegetable apprentices and pre-apprentices across Pennsylvania,” Wolf said in the release. “The invaluable skillset these apprentices and pre-apprentices learn helps keep agriculture at the forefront of the commonwealth’s economy. My administration is pleased to continue to support these programs.”

Pasa was established in 1992 by a group of farmers in Pennsylvania, the release reported. The focus is on training, research, policy, peer education and creating food programs. The organization’s goal is to create “environmentally sound, economically viable, community-focused farms and food systems.”

“Consumer demand for locally grown food is growing rapidly,” Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Special Assistant Sara Gligora said in the release. “For Pennsylvania growers to meet that demand and compete in the marketplace, they need skilled workers who can adapt to new technologies. These apprenticeships are a solid investment in attracting good students and paying them while they learn the skills agriculture needs to keep feeding demand and feeding the world.”

“Pasa’s state-registered Diversified Vegetable Apprenticeship programs are major milestones in ushering in the next generation of Pennsylvania’s farmers,” said Dan Dalton, assistant director of Farmer Training and Development at Pasa, according to the release. “Diversified Vegetable Pre-Apprenticeship offers a first step to a career in agriculture. Graduates of the full apprenticeship will be able to clearly demonstrate their competencies, better positioning them for management-level positions, and accessing capital and land opportunities.”

Gwen Ross, the DCED director of Workforce Development Initiatives, said programs like this make Pennsylvania have such a strong workforce, the release reported.

“Continuing to invest in programs that provide training and develop our workforce is a key way to give Pennsylvania a competitive advantage,” Ross said in the release.

Since Wolf has been in office, he has supported 82 pre-apprentice and apprenticeship programs with $12 million invested in the Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Program, according to the release.