Cattle leaders urge restoration of Ag Excellence beef line item, tout school and grant programs

Darwin Nisley, president of the Pennsylvania Cattlemen's Association, told the joint committee that Pennsylvania's cattle industry is sizable and diverse and that recently funded Ag Excellence beef grants delivered measurable benefits to producers and school meal programs.

Nisley provided a state snapshot: "We have 13,175 cattle farms in the state of Pennsylvania with a 1,600,000 head in the state with a value of over $700,000,000," and described how Ag Excellence beef funding distributed through Penn State Extension helped finance management workshops, building and bull-purchase grants, and the new PA beef-to-school cost-share program.

Why it matters: The speaker credited the line item (noted at $1,400,000 last year) with rapidly expanding school participation in the beef-to-school program—from 32 to 120 school districts in one year—and enabling new outreach and infrastructure supports for producers. He urged the legislature to restore the line item after proposed reductions in the 2025-26 budget.

Nisley also highlighted processing capacity and the importance of large and small packers in Pennsylvania, warning that losing a major packer would be "devastating to the cattle industry" because processing capacity underpins market access. He described collaboration among industry groups on education, field days and youth development, and he urged continued investment to maintain momentum.

Ending: Nisley asked lawmakers to maintain the Ag Excellence beef line item and support programs that link Pennsylvania producers to schools and local markets.