The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging urban producers, innovative producers and other stakeholders to submit comments for and virtually attend the fifth public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (Committee) on April 18, 2023. “The Federal Advisory Committee is a valuable source of on the ground information and recommendations for USDA,” said …
USDA-NRCS Announces Urban Agriculture Investments
Last month, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced $43 million in grants and cooperative agreements to help deliver key USDA programs to urban producers. Specifically, USDA is investing $10.2 million in new cooperative agreements to expand compost and food waste reduction efforts and $14.2 million in new grants to support the development of urban agriculture and innovative production projects. Plus, …
Grants for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Announced
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the availability of up to $4 million for grants to support the development of urban agriculture and innovative production projects. USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovation Production is accepting proposals for planning and innovation projects, and these grants are part of USDA’s broader efforts to support urban agriculture. USDA will accept …
Urban Agriculture Bill Introduced in U.S. House
House Democrat Marcy Kaptur of Ohio has introduced an urban agriculture bill. Kaptur’s Urban Agriculture Production Act is described as a bipartisan bill that would bolster nutritional programs and farmers’ markets and help create the next generation of local, urban farmers and food producers. In a news release, Kaptur says “the federal government needs to step up and improve access …
Urban Agriculturalists Hoping for Beneficial Legislation
Proponents of urban agriculture are hoping two bills will be reintroduced this year in time to be added to the 2018 Farm Bill. Bloomberg reports the bills have very different initiatives but similar goals, with hopes to create economic opportunity and show support for farmers and ranchers in urban areas. The Urban Agriculture Act of 2016 outlines a plan to …
Urban Agriculture Conservation Grants Awarded
The National Association of Conservation Districts, in partnership with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, has awarded $1 million in grants to 19 conservation districts in 14 states to boost technical assistance capacity for urban agriculture and conservation projects. “Our work as conservationists has evolved since the Dust Bowl when many of our nation’s 3,000 conservation districts were first established,” NACD …