Ag Secretary celebrates Pride Month and direct sales to consumers at Broad Street Market

Cris Collingwood//June 30, 2022

In celebration of Pennsylvania’s national leadership in direct sales to consumers and Pride Month, state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding visited Harrisburg’s Broad Street Market and its LGBTQ+ stand owners today.

Redding, who was joined by state Rep. Jessica Benham, D-Allegheny County, said, “Pennsylvania agriculture has a seat at the table for everyone and Pride Month is a great time to celebrate that diversity and inclusive spirit.

“We must feed equality to feed the future,” he said. “As a public servant and agricultural leader, I am committed to feeding equality. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, but there is much more to do to make our industry prosperous and our table welcoming.”

The Wolf administration’s work to expand inclusion in the state’s agriculture includes:

Redding’s appointment to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Equity Commission Subcommittee on Agriculture as one of 15 members to provide insight on equity in agriculture and federal farm, conservation, and extension programs.
Spearheading the development of the Pennsylvania Farm Bill, including the Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant program which has invested more than $1.5 million in projects addressing food system injustices and food apartheid.

The department commissioned the Project JUST (Justice, Unity, Solidarity, and Tolerance) Committee to maintain a working environment that addresses discrimination and endorses respect, professionalism, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace.
The department brought diversity, equity, and inclusion in agriculture to the national forefront, fostering a policy adopted by the National Association of States Department of Agriculture (NASDA) prioritizing equity across state agriculture departments in all 50 states.

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