Chester County farms and institutions will share more than $2 million in state agricultural innovation grants, including $50,000 to study whether a farm training facility could work on the Chester County Prison campus.
Gov. Josh Shapiro announced the second round of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Innovation Grant Program on Friday, Aug. 14, at Penn State's Ag Progress Days in Pennsylvania Furnace. The round totals $9.7 million across 97 projects statewide and is expected to leverage an additional $4.8 million in private investment.
Chester County received one of the largest concentrations of awards in the state, spanning the mushroom, specialty crop, Christmas tree, dairy, energy and agricultural workforce sectors.
The Chester County Economic Development Foundation's $50,000 grant will fund a feasibility study for a farm training facility on the prison campus, according to a state grant list published by FC Free Press. The grant is a planning award only and does not fund construction. The Foundation is linked to the Chester County Economic Development Council, which runs an "AgConnect" program focused on farmer training and workforce development.
No public comment from the Chester County Commissioners or CCEDC CEO Michael Grigalonis was available regarding the study's scope or timeline.
Laurel Valley Farms received the largest single Chester County award at $344,800 for an aeration system to reduce hydrogen sulfide emissions on mushroom farms. Mushroom Supply & Services and Cheyney University of Pennsylvania each received $310,000: Mushroom Supply & Services for an automated harvesting system and Cheyney for a regional aquaculture automation project.
Other notable Chester County recipients, as reported by MyChesco:
- Phillips Mushroom Farms: $129,800 for an automated weighing line
- Pietro Industries: $129,597 for an automated mushroom harvesting and control system
- American Mushroom Institute: $220,000 for phorid fly-control technology
- Gary Westlake Sr.: $129,800 for an advanced Danish Christmas tree harvesting system
- Megan Storm: $34,440 for water, energy and automation upgrades to a specialty crop hoop house
"Agriculture is the backbone of our Commonwealth and this important funding will help Pennsylvania farmers, growers, and producers innovate and grow," Shapiro said at the announcement.
The state received more than $68 million in grant requests for this round, far exceeding the $9.7 million available. Pennsylvania's 2026-27 budget includes $10 million for a third round of the program. Applications open Tuesday, Sept. 1.
