Two projects in Chester County were awarded $1.55 million in total state funding to support mushroom agriculture and dairy funding.
“Chester County has a rich agricultural heritage and farming remains the top industry in Pennsylvania,” said state Sen. Andrew Dinniman, who serves on the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, said. “This funding will go a long way in helping farms in our region — large and small — expand their operations to bring more fresh, locally-grown and locally-crafted products to consumers both near and far.”
“I am so grateful to see these funds awarded to a farm right here in Chester County,” state Rep. Christina Sappey said. “Supporting local agriculture benefits our local job market, economy and our environment. These funds will help residents shop local, which keeps emissions down and cuts our carbon footprint by eliminating the harmful effects of transporting products.”
“We take pride in our farms and our farmers,” said state Sen. Katie Muth. It is not a surprise that Chester County is the 5th ranked county in terms of dairy production in Pennsylvania. We must make sure we are continuing to work to promote the sustainability of this industry. Thank you to the Commonwealth Financial Agency for awarding SD-44 with PA Dairy Investment Program grants.”
The funds, approved by the Commonwealth Finance Authority, are as follows:
The Chester County Economic Development Council on behalf of South Mill Champs, a large mushrooming farming operation, gets $1.5 million for the extension of a natural gas pipeline in Elk Township.
The three-mile extension will support South Mill’s $115 million expansion project and the development of a 900,000 square-foot-building on 134 acres. The expansion will allow South Mill to create 500 new jobs and grow an additional 70 million pounds of mushrooms. The new site, previously used for growing hay and small plot farming, is planned to include spawn development, mushroom growing, processing, packaging, and logistics.
The remainder went to a Chester County sheep farm for a cheese-making operation, the Daily Local News reported.
