PA Preferred® is your resource for finding locally grown and processed agricultural products from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The program is housed in the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Market Development. The department launched PA Preferred to identify and promote food and agricultural products grown, produced and processed in Pennsylvania. It was started in 2004 and in 2011, Governor Tom Corbett approved the PA Preferred Act which officially names PA Preferred as Pennsylvania's statewide branding program for local food and farms.
Pennsylvania is home to 7.7 million acres of land in farms with the average farm size of 133 acres. The Commonwealth boasts 57,900 farms, 97% of which are family-owned. These farms are growing the food that fuels our citizens and these endeavors fuel the economy. Choosing to buy PA Preferred directly impacts our farmers and our Commonwealth.
The PA Preferred membership base is broader than farmers, there are also businesses that directly support Pennsylvania agriculture by sourcing ingredients from Pennsylvania farms. PA Preferred processing members are the makers that add value to Pennsylvania agricultural goods. They are preserving the bounty by processing farm fresh items in a variety of ways. Pennsylvania farmers and the companies that process Pennsylvania-grown ingredients can join PA Preferred® to reap the benefits of this statewide brand identity.
Mission
The mission of PA Preferred is to create opportunities for Pennsylvanians to easily identify and purchase locally grown and processed items, which in turn benefits Pennsylvania's farmers, agribusinesses and economy. It is to provide farmers and agribusinesses with a brand identity for the products they grow and produce. It is to assure consumers that when they purchase products with the PA Preferred logo, they are directly supporting Pennsylvania farmers.