Pennsylvania state leaders went on a food tour this past week, including a stop at one mushroom facility that contributes to the $746 million mushroom industry in the state. Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Department of Community and Economic Development Acting Deputy Secretary Mandy Book visited To-Jo Mushrooms, Inc. as part of their Food Fuels Pennsylvania tour.
Currently, Pennsylvania is the national leader in the mushroom industry, with nearly 60 percent of all mushroom production occurring in southeast Pennsylvania; nearly two-thirds of all mushrooms harvested in the US come from Chester County. The industry supports more than 9,300 jobs and contributes 1.2 billion to the economy.
Pennsylvania agriculture is a $132.5 billion industry that supports nearly 53,000 farms and more than 593,000 jobs each year. Food manufacturing is one of the largest sectors of the Commonwealth’s agriculture industry, supporting 140,000 jobs and contributing $22.4 billion to the state’s economy annually.
Source: northcentralpa.com
