Center for Plant Excellence announces additional grant award recipients

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Center for Plant Excellence, an initiative supporting Pennsylvania’s plant industries, announced an additional $241,903 in grants for its 2025-26 funding cycle, bringing the total number of projects funded in its inaugural grant program to 26. The center’s board of directors awarded the additional grants after completing its review of high-scoring applications from the first request for proposals.

The center is a partnership among the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State Extension and industry leaders.

Pennsylvania’s plant industries — from floriculture and hardwoods to specialty crops and hemp — generate more than $52 billion for the state’s economy annually, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The Center for Plant Excellence was established to keep that edge, connecting research, workforce development and industry needs through competitive grant funding.

Below are additional award recipients in Track A: Research for Plant Industry Advancement:

• "Applied Research Trials of Fig Varieties and Growing Methods for Resilient Urban Production in a Changing Climate," Weavers Way Farms and W.B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences, Philadelphia, $22,255.
  • Focus: Evaluating the cold hardiness, yield and labor efficiency of fig varieties under multiple overwintering and pruning systems at an urban farm in Northwest Philadelphia.
• "Assessing Soil Health in Pennsylvania Vineyards: Management Practices and Regional Baselines," Delaware Valley University, Doylestown, $24,744.
  • Focus: Establishing a systematic soil health baseline for Pennsylvania vineyards, giving winegrowers science-based data on compaction, aggregate stability and microbial health tailored to Mid-Atlantic conditions.
• "Optimizing Spent Mushroom Compost Processing for Sustainable Soilless Media in Pennsylvania’s Vegetable Production," Penn State Department of Food Science, University Park, $30,000.
  • Focus: Investigating whether spent mushroom substrate can serve as a sustainable peat substitute in soilless growing media for herbs and leafy greens, supporting a circular economy between Pennsylvania’s mushroom and horticulture industries.
• "Strengthening Pennsylvania’s Plant Disease Diagnostics: Verification and Integration of Molecular Assays," Penn State Plant Disease Clinic, University Park, $30,000.
  • Focus: Verifying and implementing advanced molecular assays for key plant pathogens, including phytophthora, fusarium and phytoplasmas, to improve early detection and reduce economic losses for growers statewide.

The following are award recipients in Track B: Plant Industry Career Development:

• "2026 Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve Summer Internship," Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, New Hope, $2,500.
  • Focus: Supporting a competitive summer internship program that trains early career professionals in native plant horticulture, conservation and public garden management.
• "Building the Native Plant Workforce: Summer Internship Training at Collins Nursery," Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Ambler, $9,930.
  • Focus: Supporting summer interns through all phases of native plant production, from seed collection through transplanting and public plant sales, preparing students for careers in nursery operations and ecological restoration.
• "Chester County Prison Agricultural Workforce Program," Chester County Intermediate Unit, Downingtown, $9,990.
  • Focus: Expanding the Chester County Prison’s farm program with year-round hydroponic growing and structured career-skill training, building on a program that currently donates thousands of pounds of produce annually to local food banks.
• "Hemp-Alternative PA New Crop Workforce," Hemp-Alternative, LLC, Kennett Square, $10,000.
  • Focus: Developing workforce training for Pennsylvania farmers and workers entering the hemp sector, building the labor pipeline needed to support hemp as a viable alternative crop.
• "Horticultural Internship Training for Early Career Professionals or Students," John J. Tyler Arboretum, Media, $10,000.
  • Focus: Hosting paid summer interns across specialized horticultural roles, giving students hands-on experience in plant care, invasive species response and equipment operation under mentorship from senior staff.
• "Laurel Hill Cemetery and Arboretum Horticulture Internships," Laurel Hill, Philadelphia and Montgomery counties, $7,500.
  • Focus: Funding three summer horticulture interns in distinct learning rotations, including green burial stewardship and specimen collection management.
• "Natural Lands’ 21st Century Conservation Fellowship," Natural Lands Trust, Media, $5,000.
  • Focus: Supporting conservation fellows in a yearlong program covering ecological restoration, invasive species management, prescribed fire and native plant propagation across Natural Lands’ 40-plus preserves.
• "NEHED Youth Ambassadors Program," Nueva Esperanza Housing and Economic Development, Philadelphia, $10,000.
  • Focus: Engaging youth from neighborhoods in Eastern North Philadelphia in a climate resilience internship focused on tree planting, community gardens and environmental education.
• "New Farmer Education Programs," Grow Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, $10,000.
  • Focus: Supporting farm education programs for youth and young adults in Allegheny County, addressing food insecurity in underserved neighborhoods while training the next generation of Pennsylvania farmers.
• "Oasis Farm’s Field 2 Fork Youth Internships," The Oasis Project, Pittsburgh, $10,000.
  • Focus: Providing paid agricultural work experiences for youth in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood, building practical farming skills and professional habits through hands-on urban farm work.
• "Plant Industry Career Development," Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, SCI Dallas, $9,984.
  • Focus: Expanding a greenhouse-based horticulture program that equips individuals with skills in controlled environment agriculture and microgreens production, creating new pathways to plant industry employment upon release.
• "Spanish for Agriculture: Produce & Plants," AgvoKate, Gettysburg, $10,000.
  • Focus: Developing an online, self-paced Spanish-language course for managers and workers in Pennsylvania’s produce, greenhouse and nursery sectors to improve communication, safety and workforce retention.
• "Trellis for Tomorrow’s GROW Ag-Careers Pipeline," Trellis for Tomorrow, Phoenixville, $10,000.
  • Focus: Connecting young adults facing barriers to employment with paid internships at food and agriculture organizations, building career-ready skills in the plant industries.
• "Truelove Seeds: Seed Keeping Immersion Program (SKIP)," Truelove Seeds, Philadelphia, $10,000.
  • Focus: Running a field-based training program for youth and adult participants in seed production, crop maintenance and agricultural business development, in collaboration with two Philadelphia high schools.
• "Wilmington Farms: Cultivating a Sustainable Future," Wilmington Area School District, New Wilmington, $10,000.
  • Focus: Launching a paid summer internship on a 102-acre registered farm offering training in controlled environment agriculture, large-scale food production and farm business practices.