The Pennsylvania Vegetable Marketing and Research Program is designed to represent producers engaged in vegetable cultivation and marketing within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This includes those who grow one or more acres of vegetables, operate greenhouses with 1,000 square feet or more of growing space for vegetable production not intended for transplantation outdoors, or achieve sales of $2,000 or more from vegetable cultivation in a marketing season. The program utilizes funds collected from these producers to exclusively support vegetable production marketing and research efforts. This encompasses a wide range of research topics including no-till vs. plasticulture tomatoes, bacterial spot of tomato, breeding fresh market tomatoes, and soil health indicators among others. The Secretary of Agriculture, along with the Program Board, works in cooperation with various state, federal, or other organizations to enhance the vegetable production sector through beneficial activities. Funding is available annually, with research proposal requests sent out through the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) schools in September, and marketing proposal requests varying year to year. Proposals are reviewed and awarded at the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention, typically held in late January or early February.
