The "Future of Westmoreland Agriculture" -- an all-volunteer, community-wide effort under way to strengthen and sustain Westmoreland County's farming industry -- got a well-deserved congratulations from Pennsylvania's Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff during his recent visit to the area.

Shown with Dennis in the photo are some of the members of the FWA Leadership Team, from left: Don Scott, Anita Foriska, Bob Graham, Secretary Wolff, John Turack, Naomi Costello and Conrad Donovan. Other members of the FWA Leadership Team, not pictured, are Bob Ambrose, Harriet Ellenberger and Dirk Kalp.

Attention farmers and all those who care about our community’s rural heritage.... The Future of Westmoreland Agriculture (FWA) program is being launched to understand and address the challenges and opportunities facing the farming community in Westmoreland County.

Anyone who wishes to get more involved as a volunteer is welcome! We are in need of more Task Force members and Volunteer Farm Visitors. Please encourage spouses and children to get involved.

Interested volunteers should contact Anita Nichols, Extension Educator, at the Penn State Cooperative Extension in Westmoreland County, 724-837-1402 or adn3@psu.edu.

The Future of Westmoreland Agriculture (FWA) is a community-wide effort to build a strong foundation for agriculture in Westmoreland County that ensures the health and economic viability of our farms, our people and our communities.