April 26, 2024 - Avondale, PA
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding visited Stroud Water Research Center in Avondale, Chester County, for a first-hand look at research measuring the effects of farming practices that are improving water quality and soil health. Redding and local farmer Jamie Hicks and the Stroud Center's Executive Director Dr. Dave Arscott and Director of Watershed Restoration Matthew Ehrhart toured a field managed by Hicks. The field is part of a watershed-scale experiment on conservation agriculture. They discussed a new $1.5 million funding opportunity for further conservation research to develop innovative solutions that farmers can implement to address complex challenges like climate change and loss of critical water and soil resources."Boiled down to basics, agriculture innovation is simply doing business in new and better ways to make farming more profitable, efficient, and sustainable," Secretary Redding said. "Investing in research is the first critical step toward solving today's most costly and complex challenges. This increased research funding, coupled with Governor Shapiro's proposed $10 million Agriculture Innovation Fund will keep Pennsylvania researchers on the cutting edge of exciting developments in conservation and regenerative agriculture. It will support the work of scientists like those at Stroud Water Research Center who are imagining the engineering and technology we need to continue to be a national and world agriculture leader."Speakers Include:Mike Roth, Director of Conservation and Innovation, PDADr. Dave Arscott, Executive Director, Stroud Water Research CenterMatthew Ehrhart, Director of Watershed Restoration, Stroud Water Research CenterJamie HicksSecretary Russell Redding, PA Department of Agriculture
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