On Thursday, December 7, 2023, PAPA had the privilege of hosting the Secretaries of Agriculture (or their designee) from DE, MD, NJ, and PA for a conversation about the state of the agriculture and food industry in their states.  Michael T. Scuse from Delaware; Kevin Atticks from Maryland; Jeffrey Beach from New Jersey; and Russell C. Redding from Pennsylvania anchored the wide-ranging discussion moderated by PAPA Secretary Dr. Scott Sheely.

While each state differs in the mix of crops and the nature of its supply chains, the four states share several challenges including the availability of a workforce of the quantity and skills needed, increasing development pressure driving up the price of land, lack of local process ability for meat, supporting value-added production to address consumer demand, and preserving farmland are topics that are on the hearts and minds of these agriculture leaders.  Most agreed that coping with the changing demand for fluid milk was another problem that has confronted the entire region.  Everyone was interested in organic and value-added farming.

Each of the panelists seemed to have a different set of aspirations for their state which include things like more local and regional processing for meat and hemp, affordable housing for workers, ability to provide more funding for start-up activities, using the apprenticeship model for workforce development, closer ties with the labor department in state government, and more support for aquaculture infrastructure.

Questions from those attending the program included those related to food security, urban agriculture, and immigration.  Click here for a tape of the roughly 90 minute program.