About Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture encourages, protects and promotes agriculture and related industries throughout the commonwealth while providing consumer protection through inspection services that impact the health and financial security of Pennsylvania's citizens.
Pennsylvania's 49,053 farm families are stewards of more than 7.3 million acres of farmland. With $7.8 billion in cash receipts annually from production agriculture alone, Pennsylvania farms and agribusinesses are a leading economic driver in our state.
Pennsylvania agriculture contributes $132.5 billion to our state economy annually and supports more than 593,000 jobs, paying wages of $32.8 billion. Agriculture contributes $1 out of every $16 in gross state product. Agriculture supports 1 in 10 jobs in Pennsylvania.
Our Mission
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture exists to ensure a vibrant economy, a successful future for Pennsylvania agriculture, and to safeguard the public through:
- Targeted investments to grow opportunities and remove barriers;
- Protecting human, animal, environmental, and plant health through regulatory oversight;
- Promotion of and education about Pennsylvania’s agriculture products and sectors;
- Conserving farmland and natural resources for the prosperity of Pennsylvania
Our Vision
To be a trusted public service for an increasingly diverse and vibrant agriculture and all those we work to protect. To always be mindful of the innumerable ways society relies on or depends on agriculture and its products, and of agriculture's intersection with the most important issues of our time. To act intentionally to ensure agriculture is inclusive and equitable to all and to inspire future generations of leaders for the industry.
Our Values
- Service-Oriented: dedicated to being a trusted, reliable source of timely and accurate information for the public (consumers and industry)
- Continuous Improvement: always striving to improve upon the services that we deliver by evaluating our processes and looking to our customers for regular feedback
- Accountability: being responsible for your own words and actions; having the courage to hold yourself accountable as well as others
- Stewardship: responsible use and enhancement of our resources, whether it is our people, our tools, or our funding; promoting a culture where we put our people first
- Civility: demonstrating respect for the feelings, ideas, wishes, rights, or traditions of others at all times
- Excellence: the quality of always striving to be the best at what we do
- Collaborative: building relationships and staying engaged with the public (consumers and industry) in order to maintain their trust