Pa. Agriculture Secretary Visits Fruit Orchard in Columbia County

State grants help family-owned OHF Orchards expand cold storage and grow its business.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 8:54pm

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A high-end, photorealistic studio still-life photograph featuring a carefully arranged display of freshly picked apples, peaches, and cherries from OHF Orchards, set against a clean, monochromatic background and dramatically lit to highlight the vibrant colors and premium quality of the family farm's harvest.The diverse fruit harvest from OHF Orchards, showcased in a premium studio still life, represents the family farm's growth and success with the support of state agricultural grants.Bloomsburg Today

Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding visited OHF Orchards, a family-owned fruit business near Bloomsburg, to tour the orchards and see how state grants are helping the farm expand its operations. The orchard recently received over $99,000 through a state Fresh Food Financing Initiative grant to add another 13,000-bushel cooler, which the owners say is crucial for storing their diverse fruit crops of apples, peaches, and cherries.

Why it matters

The visit highlights how state investment in local agriculture businesses can strengthen Pennsylvania's food system and support family farms. As the state's number one industry, agriculture is a key economic driver, and the state offers various grant programs to help farmers upgrade infrastructure, increase production, and expand market access.

The details

Co-owner Joseph O'Hara said the previous state grants have allowed OHF Orchards to purchase new bins and two existing coolers to store fruit before shipping. The additional $99,000 grant will fund another cooler to expand the farm's cold storage capacity. Secretary Redding emphasized the importance of these types of investments to help farmers, veterans, and others in the food system with infrastructure, marketing, and accessing larger markets for Pennsylvania-grown products.

  • OHF Orchards recently received over $99,000 through a state Fresh Food Financing Initiative grant.
  • The visit by Secretary Redding took place on April 8, 2026.

The players

Russell Redding

The Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture, who visited OHF Orchards to tour the orchards and see how state grants are supporting the family-owned fruit business.

Joseph O'Hara

The co-owner of OHF Orchards, a family-owned fruit business near Bloomsburg that has received state grants to expand its cold storage and operations.

OHF Orchards

A family-owned fruit business near Bloomsburg that grows a variety of crops including apples, peaches, and cherries, and has received state grants to upgrade its infrastructure and increase production.

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What they’re saying

“Which will store roughly another 13,000 bushels of apples, and we really need it. We need space, farmers seem to always need more equipment and more buildings.”

— Joseph O'Hara, Co-owner, OHF Orchards

“I think it's important we as a state think about how do you help veterans, how do you help farmers making transitions with cold storage, with orchards, marketing, and grocery stores. We want to build a larger market with Pennsylvania products.”

— Russell Redding, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture

What’s next

Secretary Redding encouraged farmers to apply for the various grant opportunities available from the state, noting that the applications are open. He said the state is committed to supporting the agriculture industry, which is Pennsylvania's number one industry and second in the nation for direct farm sales.

The takeaway

This visit showcases how state investment in local agriculture businesses like OHF Orchards can strengthen Pennsylvania's food system, support family farms, and expand market access for the state's diverse array of agricultural products. The grants have allowed the orchard to upgrade its infrastructure and increase production, demonstrating the positive impact of government programs that assist farmers with critical needs like cold storage and marketing.