Martinsburg, PA – Today, 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) 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.”
“We know that farmers are some of the best stewards of the land, and we’re glad to keep farms and farm communities moving at the speed of business, without giving up environmental protections we all deserve,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Thanks to the Shapiro Administration’s investments in DEP staff and permitting efficiency, we were able to review and ultimately approve the permit for the Kulp Farm in less than half the normal time.”
Delivering for Pennsylvania Agriculture and Cutting Red Tape
Since taking office, Governor Shapiro has brought Democrats and Republicans together to invest in new technologies, strengthen supply chains, and expand opportunity for farmers, growers, and producers. Pennsylvania’s more than 50,000 farms feed families, support rural communities, and sustain the Commonwealth’s rich agricultural heritage.
Agriculture is a cornerstone of Pennsylvania’s economy, contributing $132 billion each year and supporting over 600,000 jobs. Under Governor Shapiro’s leadership, the Commonwealth has made historic investments in agriculture while cutting red tape and modernizing government to help farms and agricultural businesses grow, including:
- Creating the first statewide Economic Development Strategy in nearly two decades with agriculture at the forefront.
- Fully funding the PA Farm Bill at $13.8 million annually to support workforce development, processing expansion, and market access
- Investing $1 million to launch the Organic Center of Excellence and establish the PA Preferred Organic™ brand
- Launching the Agricultural Innovation Grant Program with $10 million in state funding; in its first year, 88 farms and organizations in 45 counties received grants supporting 40 areas of innovation across 31 commodities
- Preserving more than 448 farms and nearly 37,200 acres of farmland with over $134 million in state investment
- Setting aside more than $65 million to mitigate Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and support poultry farmers
- Funding a state-of-the-art animal health lab in Western Pennsylvania to enhance disease testing and biosecurity
- Expanding the Fresh Food Financing Initiative with $2 million to increase access to local food and support small businesses
- Investing $35 million to continue Clean Streams Fund support for the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP)
- Cutting overall permit, license, and certification times by 70 percent compared to 2022 — including reducing DEP’s permit backlog by 98 percent and eliminating the oil and gas permit backlog entirely
- Launching the Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion and Development (SPEED) program for Chapter 102 Individual NPDES Permits permits, allowing qualified professionals to conduct initial application reviews — providing farmers more flexibility and predictability
- Cutting business filing wait times from eight weeks to just two days on average — making it easier for entrepreneurs, including ag businesses, to start and expand
- Supporting more than 200 businesses through OTO, resolving 60 permitting challenges, and engaging with more than 35 companies considering expansion or relocation to Pennsylvania
In his 2025-26 proposed budget, Governor Shapiro has called for additional investments, including:
- $13 million more for the Agricultural Innovation Grant Program
- $4 million expansion of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System
- $4 million increase to the State Food Purchase Program
- $2 million to fully operate the new state animal diagnostic lab
Governor Shapiro’s leadership is ensuring Pennsylvania remains a national leader in agriculture — building a more resilient agricultural economy, safeguarding the food supply, and securing a prosperous future for Pennsylvania’s farming communities.
Learn more about the commonsense investments in the Governor’s 2025-26 budget proposal at shapirobudget.pa.gov and how the Shapiro Administration is supporting Pennsylvania’s farmers.
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