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Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grants

Urban Agriculture and Innovation Production (UAIP) competitive grants initiate or expand efforts of farmers, gardeners, citizens, government officials, schools, and other stakeholders in urban areas and suburbs. Projects may target areas of food access; education; business and start-up costs for new farmers; and development of policies related to zoning and other needs of urban production.

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Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grants Projects
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Grant Types

Grants can include Planning or Implementation activities:

Planning Activities
Planning activities may include:

  • assessing community needs within the local food system;
  • researching how food is grown, distributed, or marketed and/or recommending safe growing practices such as soil tests and environmental assessments.
  • evaluating how urban agriculture and innovative production can address issues of food access, nutrition, education, conservation, and economic development.
  • creating partnerships to improve growing, distributing and marketing of nutritious food;
  • conducting business planning, feasibility studies, and other strategies, such as community resource development;
  • developing local policy on zoning laws supporting urban agriculture and innovative production; and/or
  • creating educational materials and programs that increase knowledge about food and agriculture and encourage careers in urban agriculture and innovative production;

Implementation Activities
Implementation activities may include:

  • increasing food production
  • promoting agricultural businesses
  • providing mentoring, job training, and resources for underserved populations;
  • implementing best practices to address food access, zoning, composting, land access, soil health;
  • integrating emerging technologies, infrastructure needs (such as access to water and utilities);
  • supporting community education about food systems, nutrition, agriculture production, and environment impact;
  • operating community gardens or nonprofit farms that offer hands-on training in farming or gardening through virtual or web-based formats; and/or
  • providing K-12 schools with educational resources or programs that increase student knowledge and access to locally grown foods.

Resources

Stories

Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP) Success Stories

Common Ground Producers and Growers, KS (Implementation Project)

The Common Ground Urban Innovation Project facilitates the development of entrepreneurial projects such as job training, land, equipment, mentoring, and other business development assistance to new and beginning farmers. 25% of the work outlined in the grant, has been accomplished during year one. The Common Ground Mobile Market also encourages farmers and growers to expand their production. Hands-on training in farming and gardening to growers and students in the targeted zip codes will be offered and part-time community-based staff will be hired from targeted zip codes. During year two more qualitative data will be gathered regarding whether consumers have changed their food purchasing or eating habits due to the mobile market, as well as how often consumers return to the market and recommend it to others. Another growth area will be to provide further nutrition education through physical/digital materials and cooking classes to promote healthy eating. For more information, please view the Common Ground Producers and Growers Helps Wichita Residents video.

A man on a tractor with a woman beside him

Tampa Family Health Centers, FL

Building upon the efforts of a Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization project, Tampa Family Health Care Centers (TFHC) is excited and eager to expand upon the current efforts of the Garden Steps Project. The project purpose is to improve the quality of medical and mental/emotional/behavioral (MEB) health by increasing access to care through the reduction of barriers to healthy food and the increase in outdoor activities. They will complete a comprehensive Implementation Plan based upon the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Implementation Plan Template, approved by Sherry Hoback, President and CEO. TFHC will identify 200 patients with indicated conditions who are willing to complete an Intent to Change survey of eating behaviors as measured by actual number completing survey. Finally, they plan to conduct surveys to at least 2,500 individuals, with or without indicated conditions, who intend to use knowledge of the garden, its launch date and how to get involved, as measured by actual number completing surveys. For more information, please view the Tampa Family Health Care Centers page.

A woman gesturing at a small tree in front of her

Grants News

Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grants Projects

Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grants 2020-2024 (XLSX, 55.9 KB)