A $1 million grant program created to enhance the long-term health and vitality of Pennsylvania’s family farms was introduced Wednesday in front of hundreds of public officials at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.

According to Gov. Wolf’s office, over the next 10 years, the state will reach a shortage of 75,000 agriculture workers. $500,000 in state grants, part of the Pennsylvania Farm Bill, will fund 55 projects in 25 counties that aim to improve access to agriculture education in the commonwealth in order to lessen the projected worker shortage.

This year, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture issued more than 300 permits to grow hemp on nearly 600 acres at more than 800 locations around the state

Governor Wolf signed the PA Farm Bill into law July 1, enacting legislation that will support the agriculture industry across the state.