Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Photo: Shutterstock

The state House of Representatives Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee gathered Jan. 8 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show to hear from leaders of agriculture advocacy organizations.

State Rep. Martin Causer, R-McKean, said the committee is focusing on rural broadband, agritourism liability and dairy industry investments for legislative efforts this year.

"Over the last few years, we have successfully adopted several policies to address challenges facing the farming community, but there is no question we have more work to do," Causer said.

"We have been working on bills addressing several of the issues raised today, such as rural broadband, agritourism liability and additional investments in our dairy industry. We appreciate the ongoing advocacy and support of these efforts as we work to get them to the governor's desk and enacted into law."

Rick Ebert, president of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, told lawmakers the key to survival for the state's farmers is to be able to diversify. Agritourism offers farmers that opportunity but under current law, liability concerns related to agritourism are a roadblock. He encouraged support for House Bill 1348, noting it strikes the right balance between protecting farmers and protecting the public.

Wayne Campbell, president of the Pennsylvania State Grange, focused heavily on the need for rural broadband access, not only to help farms and other agriculture businesses but also to meet the needs of rural communities such as health care via telemedicine.

Hannah Smith-Brubaker, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, highlighted the ongoing importance of farmland preservation and preparing and educating the next generation of farmers in the commonwealth.

Heidi Secord of the Pennsylvania Farmers Union stressed the importance of helping small family farms access expanding markets, such as hemp, and facilitating more processing opportunities within the commonwealth for not only dairy but also animals.

Finally, Christian Herr, executive vice president of PennAg Industries, talked about how vital it is to ensure animal health, as 75% of Pennsylvania's agriculture industry is animal agriculture.