At Warrington Farms in Dillsburg, PA, Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding commended Pennsylvania’s farmers who take part in the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System for their contributions of more than 4 million pounds of food to date in 2020 to Pennsylvania’s charitable food system amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“2020 has been a year of firsts for many, including Pennsylvania’s farmers. But what’s been unwavering is their commitment to community,” said Redding. “Despite their own unknowns, Pennsylvania farmers commit the fruits of their labor to those whose uncertainty lies around the dinner table.”

Warrington Farms is one of 30 Pennsylvania farms currently under contract with Feeding Pennsylvania for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act-funded Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS), which acquires surplus agricultural products from Pennsylvania producers to be funneled through the charitable food system to families in need. Feeding Pennsylvania holds the state contract to administer this traditionally state-funded program, which has been enhanced with $10 million in CARES funding to address food security in the commonwealth as Pennsylvania endures the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the CARES Act funding, Feeding Pennsylvania has acquired more than 2.4 million pounds of food from Pennsylvania farmers to date in 2020, and expects to acquire another 3 million pounds before the end of the year.

“Farmers and processors are essential to the work of our food banks and their local partner agencies,” said Jane Clements-Smith, executive director of Feeding Pennsylvania.  “Thanks to their participation in the PASS program, we are able to provide fresh and nutritious Pennsylvania ag products to families facing hunger, while also reducing food waste and supporting Pennsylvania’s agriculture economy. It is truly a win-win.”

PASS reduces agricultural waste by connecting the agriculture industry with the charitable food system in all 67 Pennsylvania counties. The program was originally enacted into law in 2010 and first funded in 2015 by Governor Tom Wolf at $1 million annually. In 2017-18, the program funding was increased to $1.5 million annually.

From 2015-2019, the program sourced more than 11.3 million pounds of food that would have gone to waste and distributed it through Pennsylvania’s charitable food system. In this year alone, through September 2020, more than 1.6 million pounds of food were moved from farmers to families in need with state dollars. This is in addition to the 2.4 million pounds of product that have been secured to date using CARES funds. In total for 2020, the 4 million pounds of local product have been distributed to all 67 counties through the 13 partners that are members of the Feeding Pennsylvania and Hunger-Free Pennsylvania networks of food banks.

Thanks to state PASS dollars, over the past five years the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, a Feeding Pennsylvania partner, has been able to source more than 300 animals from 4-H and FFA youth livestock auctions at agricultural fairs in central Pennsylvania to be processed by Warrington Farms.

If you have not already submitted your application and are interested in joining the network of WalkWorks walking routes or know of anyone who might be interested, this is a friendly reminder that applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on November 13, 2020. To learn more about WalkWorks, check out their website. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact them at pawalkworks@pitt.edu.

Walking may just be the pandemic panacea
The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed our lives, impacting our physical, mental and social wellbeing. While we have adopted measures to keep each other safe, such as social distancing and wearing a mask, one thing has remained consistent, we can walk!

It has been a few years since the U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities was issued, though its goal is at least as vital as it was when issued: to increase walking by working together to increase access to safe and convenient places to walk and to create a culture that supports walking for all Americans. Further, the number one priority of the Pennsylvania State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) 2015-20 is obesity, physical inactivity and nutrition.

That is why WalkWorks – a collaboration of the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the University of Pittsburgh, which aims to increase opportunities for physical activity through safe, fun, fact-filled walking routes in communities across Pennsylvania – is inviting organizations interested in improving the health status of the residents of their communities to express interest in joining its network of 100 walking routes by completing a brief application. Though we are living in an environment that presents its challenges, it will always be important to take care of yourself and those around you. With the right information, with which WalkWorks will assist, you can offer opportunities to help those in your area cope with stress in a healthy way that will make them, the people they care about and the overall community stronger. A limited number of partners will be added to our network during this cycle.

 

Selected organizations will be asked to:

• Identify a walking route of one to two miles, including points of interest;
• Engage community stakeholders to ensure the route will meet residents’ preferences;
• Collaborate with community organizations to encourage walking and, when the COVID-19 social distancing guidelines permit, optimize sustainable walking group; and
• Organize a kick-off celebration for the route.

 

Selected organizations will receive:

• Technical assistance with route selection;
• Guidance for physically distanced walks and, in the future, creating sustainable walking groups and identifying walking group leaders;
• The opportunity to hear from partners and affiliates already engaged in the program;
• Promotional materials and signage for the walking route(s); and
• Network emails and invitations to webinars.

 

Successful candidates will demonstrate the needs of the communities they serve, as well as their ability to implement and sustain the program to ensure lasting impact. Examples of eligible candidates are non-profit organizations and municipal entities.

Click here to download the application

The application must be completed and returned to
PAWalkWorks@pitt.edu
no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 13, 2020.

ARC develops a Strategic Plan every five years with community input from listening sessions, workshops, and other information from the Region. ARC’s current Strategic Plan Envision Appalachia: Community Conversations for ARC’s Strategic Plan technically expired when fiscal year 2020 ended at the end of September. Plans were in the making for a new strategic planning process earlier this year. However, noting challenges related to the COVID-19 crisis, the Commission unanimously voted to extend our strategic plan through fiscal year 2021.

Learn more about ARC’s investment priorities in relation to the extended strategic plan here.

The ARC hosted a 90-minute Learning Session led by Regional experts about how Appalachian communities can use Opportunity Zones to strengthen local communities. There are 737 distressed communities in Appalachia designed as Opportunity Zones where new investments may be eligible for preferential tax treatment.

The session included remarks from Donna Gambrell of Appalachia Community Capital (ACC) and Alex Flachsbart of Opportunity Alabama (OA), who were recognized recently by Forbes Magazine as visionaries for Opportunity Zones. Using ARC support, ACC is working directly with nearly 20 communities to get them ready for successful Opportunity Zone-driven investments and Opportunity Alabama is developing an Opportunity Zones-based funding and business development ecosystem across Alabama’s 37 Appalachian counties.

The seminar, which included formal presentations and a fireside chat, identified these key steps for successfully implementing Opportunity Zone investment strategies:

1. Organize a local ecosystem
2. Identify community assets and needs
3. Prioritize properties and projects
4. Help facilitate connections

Learn more about Opportunity Zones in Appalachia and view the session here.

The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury finalized their tri-agency final rule on healthcare price transparency to further advance the Administration’s commitment to create a healthcare system that is patient and consumer centric. You can learn more about the final rule and the Administration’s transparency efforts by following the links below:

• Read the press release here
• Read more on CMS’s transparency work
• Read a CMS fact sheet on the final rule
• Read the rule