A Message from the Urban Agriculture Liaison:
Hi farming and food community of New Orleans,
I hope y’all are enjoying all the gifts of spring including lots of amazing community events (and many swallowtail chrysalises turned butterflies like this one)! You'll find a list of farm and garden events at the end of this email.
In case you were wondering why you haven’t gotten a newsletter in a while; there have been some changes underway with the new Mayor and Council transition. The Urban Agriculture Program was shifted from the Office of Resilience & Sustainability (ORS) to the City Planning Commission (CPC) and I’m just getting settled in. The work continues!
I’m hopeful that the preservation of this position many of you fought long and hard for shows the City’s commitment to supporting urban agriculture. I look forward to continuing to work with you all to build a stronger local food system.
Find some highlights and additional resources below. If you are a grower and we haven’t met yet, please reach out! I’d love to see your space and find ways my role can support your efforts. Email urbanag@nola.gov or call 504-658-4957. Please continue to reach out if you have any contributions you’d like to add.
In community,
Grace Treffinger
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Updates from the Urban Agriculture Program in the City Planning Commission
 One Year Anniversary for the Urban Agriculture Working Group!
On March 18th, we had our first UAWG meeting of 2026. That meeting marked one year since we launched the UAWG in March 2025! Thank you to everyone who continues to participate and give feedback. This work wouldn't be possible without you. More info here: https://nola.gov/urbanag
We were joined by about 20 urban farmers, community gardeners, and food policy advocates at Nora Navra Library. Click here for notes. We focused on:
- Land Access
- We reviewed survey results from about 25 growers. Please fill out the survey, especially if you are a grower seeking land!
- Alex Vialou from NORA shared updates on the Growing Green program and alternative land access pathways they're working on for growers. We will be meeting with NORA soon to discuss options and what comes next and will share more, specifically with active Growing Green lessees.
- Urban Agriculture & Food Plan
- Mina Seck and Devin Wright shared updates from Sprout on the very early stages of the city's first Urban Agriculture & Food Plan. This planning process is being coordinated by Sprout, New Orleans Food Policy Council, the Urban Agriculture Liaison and the New Orleans Health & Human Services Department. Keep an eye out for opportunities to shape the plan! Email urbanag@nola.gov with any questions.
 Recirculating Farms in Central City
Land Access
Affordable and secure land access continues to be the largest barrier for most urban farmers and gardeners.
Want to help shape the future of land access for growers in New Orleans? Fill out this Urban Agriculture Land Access Survey by Friday, April 24th: https://forms.gle/RfncbzHfJGkNNsgg7
 On Farm Guides
The Urban Agriculture Liaison, in collaboration with many of you, continues to develop On Farm Guides to make navigating city processes easier so you can focus on growing. If you have any questions or requests related to this, please email urbanag@nola.gov.
In Case You Missed It: 2025 Wins!
Cover Crop Ordinance Passed
In October 2025, the City Council unanimously passed the Cover Crop Ordinance, which updates the city code to include a definition of cover crops and to exempt them from the 10-inch weed height limit. This means that urban growers practicing regenerative agriculture practices, like cover cropping, will no longer face potential fines and code violations. Click here for more info.
“More cover cropping means more stormwater absorption, less flooding, and more food for our city,” said Dimitri Celis, Program Director of Recirculating Farms. “Thank you, Councilmember Harris, for keeping your word and sponsoring this ordinance.”
On Farm: Water Access Event at Press Street Gardens
On October 20th, 2025 – we hosted an On Farm: Water Access Event in partnership with Sprout, with participation from the Sewerage and Water Board (SWBNO). We went through the Water Access Guide (which you can find here: https://nola.gov/wateraccess) and got very helpful feedback and answers from SWBNO and a utility contractor who joined us. Getting affordable water access has been and continues to be a challenge for growers but we hope this event and the guides we created make it a little easier to get an agricultural (aka irrigation-only) water meter installed. If you’re getting inaccurately charged for an agricultural water meter or have other farm/garden related challenges, contact urbanag@nola.gov.
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