the Shapiro Administration recognized Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Bureau of Food Assistance Director Caryn Long Earl and the Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory (PVL) Immunology Team with Governor’s Awards for Excellence for their extraordinary commitment to public service in their work to expand food access, create new opportunities for Pennsylvania farmers, and protect livestock producers from a nationwide diagnostic testing failure.
Governor Josh Shapiro honored Long Earl for strengthening Pennsylvania’s food assistance network and expanding markets for Pennsylvania farmers. He recognized the PVL Immunology Team for identifying faulty bovine leukemia virus (BLV) diagnostic test kits that threatened livestock producers across the country.
“The people of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture are the reason our agriculture industry remains one of the strongest in the nation,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Caryn Long Earl and the Veterinary Laboratory Immunology Team represent the very best of public service, combining expertise, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to serving Pennsylvania farmers and families. Whether they’re helping deliver nutritious food to communities in need or protecting livestock producers from costly disease threats, their work makes a real difference every day. I congratulate them on this well-deserved recognition and thank them for their extraordinary dedication to the Commonwealth.”
Under Long Earl’s leadership, the Department expanded access to nutritious food while creating new markets for Pennsylvania farmers. During the 2024-25 school year, the Department distributed more than $51.7 million in USDA Foods to schools, childcare centers, and summer feeding programs. In 2025, Long’s bureau also contracted the delivery of more than 34.5 million pounds of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) food, valued at $43.3 million.
Source : pa.gov