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urban agriculture


Sowing the Future of Agriculture in Philadelphia

October 08, 2024 USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young

This month, nearly 200,000 K-12 students from across Philadelphia head back to school, filling classrooms and lunchrooms across the city with excitement for the new year ahead.

Research and Science

Reflections from the Road in Pennsylvania: Charting the Path Forward with Urban Agriculture and the Next Generation

September 05, 2024 USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young

Last month I attended the Northeast Regional Equity Convening hosted by the USDA and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture on July 18, 2024. This was a unique opportunity to interact with fresh voices and discuss charged and meaningful topics like urban agriculture and nutrition sovereignty.

Equity Research and Science

Can I Grow Here? Helping Urban and Innovative Growers Navigate Local Policies

December 07, 2023 Nina Bhattacharyya, USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production

When farming in urban environments, whether in-ground or using innovative production, one of the biggest challenges can be navigating local statutes, zoning, permitting and land use regulations. For growers, understanding legal access to land and water, as well as local policies is critical.

Farming

Area 2 Farms: Growing Farms Near You

November 28, 2023 FPAC Strategic Communications Coordinator Suzanne Pender

In an industrial park in Arlington, Virginia, there is something you might not expect – a farm. Area 2 Farms is an indoor, organic, soil-based farm that seeks to expand their ultra-local model nationwide.

Farming

Urban Agriculture Grant Brings Together Diverse Urban Farms in Boston

October 04, 2023 Kathryn Fidler, Public Affairs Specialist, FPAC

Boston’s urban agriculture community is a diverse group of farmers and community advocates, and their needs are as varied as the types of operations they run and the populations they serve. In 2021, the City of Boston’s GrowBoston initiative received a $200,000 Urban Agriculture and Innovative...

Farming

USDA Connects Veterans to Resources for Beginning Farmers

June 22, 2023 Mariela Castaneda, Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement

United States veterans have endured extreme hardships to protect our country and its values, often by putting their lives on the line. But when their service is complete, many find reentering civilian life to be challenging.

Equity Initiatives

Community Resources to Combat Climate Change and Food Loss and Waste

June 21, 2022 Nina Bhattacharyya, Natural Resources Specialist, USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production

Local communities face many challenges when mitigating and adapting to climate change. Cities across the country are experiencing the effects of increased natural disasters, limited resources, sea-level rise, and other impacts. Municipalities and stakeholders have an opportunity to curb greenhouse...

Climate Initiatives

Worms at Work, Recycling Food Waste

May 04, 2022 Nina Bhattacharyya, USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production

Did you know that worms can recycle your food scraps? Vermicomposting, or worm composting, turns food scraps into a beneficial soil amendment that can be used in home gardens, landscaping, turfgrass, farms and more. Over one-third of all available food goes uneaten through loss or waste. Composting...

Conservation Farming Initiatives

USDA Community Compost Grant Opens Up Potential to Compost 25% of Landfill Waste in Anchorage, Alaska

October 06, 2021 Tracy Robillard, Public Affairs Specialist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Alaska

The Municipality of Anchorage is the largest urban area in Alaska, with its close to 300,000 residents making up 40 percent of the state’s population. This makes Anchorage a prime area for urban agriculture.

Conservation

Helping an Urban Farmer Connect People with Food

August 17, 2016 Diane Petit, USDA-NRCS Massachusetts

When Amanda Barker arrived in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 2009 to start graduate school at Clark University she knew that she wanted to grow food and build community. “My hope was to figure out a way to connect people with food, get people talking to each other,” said Barker. Seven years later, she...

Conservation
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