Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding joined Pennsylvania farmers and agriculture leaders at Kulp Dairy Farm in Blair County to highlight how the Shapiro Administration’s work to modernize and accelerate permitting are delivering speed and predictably for farmers allowing them to invest and expand their operations.
From day one, Governor Shapiro has made cutting red tape and streamlining government a top priority. By speeding up permitting processes, his Administration is helping farmers like the Kulps expand their operations with confidence supporting jobs, boosting food production, and driving rural economic growth.
“From day one, my Administration has been laser-focused on cutting red tape and speeding up government so Pennsylvanians can get answers more quickly and move forward with their plans whether that’s a dairy farm expanding, a barber opening a new shop, or a teacher starting in the classroom,” said Governor Shapiro. “By modernizing the permitting process, we’re helping family farms like the Kulps grow and thrive, while making sure our ag sector continues to feed our families and power our Commonwealth’s economy.”
Kulp Dairy Farm, a third-generation, family-owned farm founded in 1973, is planning a major expansion to add new animal housing barns, a milking parlor, a manure separation building, a waste storage pond, and other infrastructure improvements. The expansion will allow the farm to add nearly 1,000 dairy cows, increasing its capacity to supply milk to Land O’Lakes while sustaining and creating local jobs.
When the farm raised concerns earlier this year about potential delays in securing its stormwater construction permit, the Governor’s Office of Transformation and Opportunity (OTO)(opens in a new tab) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) worked closely with the farm to expedite the process. As a result, the Kulps received their permit more than four months ahead of schedule. DEP completed its review in just 83 business days compared to the standard 117 days thanks to the Shapiro Administration’s reforms and the Kulps’ consistently high-quality applications, as the farm has expanded several times over the past few years.
“Governor Shapiro’s leadership in streamlining permitting particularly environmental permits gives Pennsylvania farmers the certainty they need to move forward with confidence,” said Secretary Redding. “Timely decisions mean farmers can invest in innovation, adopt conservation practices, and grow their businesses without being held back by delays. That’s how we keep agriculture strong and sustainable for the future.”
“Over the last 26 years, through hard work and the blessing of many great employees, our business has grown to 2,900 milking cows across three locations with 47 full-time employees,” said Kyle Kulp, owner of Kulp Dairy Farm. “As my generation steps into leadership, we’re excited to make the next large investment in our farm for the benefit of our cows, our employees, our community, and Pennsylvania agriculture. We’re very appreciative of the strong communication and timeliness of the permitting process. From our initial submission on February 5 to final approval on August 7, the review was remarkably quick compared to historical norms a strong testament to the Governor and his team.”
“Today is actually a celebration thank you, Governor Shapiro, for coming through with what you promised,” said Chris Hoffman, President of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. “When he was campaigning, the Governor said he would be a tireless advocate for agriculture and that he would address our issues. And today, we’re here to celebrate with the Kulp family a milestone something we’ve worked a really long time to achieve. Getting permits and forms together in a relatively short amount of time is critical to keeping farms moving. Agriculture doesn’t sit still it moves at the speed of light and we need a government that runs with us, works with us, and delivers the support we need.”
Source : pa.gov