Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production News

Opportunities

• The U.S. Small Business Administration and USDA are presenting Boots to Business Reboot for Veteran Beginning Farmers & Ranchers, a free virtual event open to Active-Duty Service members (including National Guard and Reserve), veterans of all eras, and spouses. Event dates: Oct. 16 and 17, 2023.
• U.S. Forest Service Forest Landowner Support provides financial assistance for underserved and small-acreage forest landowners to participate in emerging private markets for climate mitigation and forest resilience. Application deadline: Oct. 21, 2023.
• National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA):
  • Community Food Projects Competitive Grants reduce food insecurity while improving access to services. Application deadline: Oct. 30, 2023. 
  • Agriculture and Food Research Initiative supports research, education, and extension activities across multiple Farm Bill priority areas. Multiple application deadlines.
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Innovation Grants will provide $65 million for the development of new tools, approaches, practices and technologies for natural resource conservation and climate action. Application deadline: Oct. 30, 2023. 
• Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Partnerships Program supports capacity building and capital for local, regional, or state food financing programs. Application deadline: Nov. 3, 2023.
• Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2023 Environmental Education Grants support projects that reflect the intersection of environmental issues with climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, preventing future issues related to water quality and human health. Application deadline: Nov. 8, 2023.
• EPA’s Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization: FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup Grant Guidelines are open. Application deadline: 13, 2023. They are also soliciting applications from Tribal Nations and entities to provide specialized technical assistance for brownfield programs and reuse. Application deadline: Nov. 13, 2023. 
• Food Nutrition Service’s Farm to School Grants are open! Application deadline: 12, 2024.
• USDA’s Discrimination Financial Assistance Program is open to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination from USDA farm lending programs prior to January 2021. Application details (in English and Spanish), office locations, and local events are listed at 22007apply.gov. Filing an application is FREE and does not require a lawyer. Application deadline: Jan. 13, 2024.
• Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program e-Solution Grants are open to State agencies, Indian Tribal Organizations and territories, or multi-state agency collaborations. Application deadline: Jan. 23, 2024.
• Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans & Grants provide funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Multiple deadlines for 2023 and 2024.

Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production on the Road

Leslie Glover, OUAIP, participated in the first of its kind USDA Regional Urban Agriculture Meeting in Jackson, Mississippi. USDA staff joined a wide range of stakeholders to discuss financial and technical resources available to them at the local level. Participants included: agricultural producers, non-profit organizations, Mississippi State University, Tennessee State University, and USDA agencies including the Risk Management Agency, Farm Service Agency, Rural Development, Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Water Management Center, and the National Design, Construction, and Soil Mechanics Center.

Brian Guse and Jose Jimenez, OUAIP, participated in the 12th Annual Aquaponics Association Conference in Alburquerque, New Mexico. This year’s theme was “The Recipe for Success: Water, Energy, Food and Communities,” and over 60 speakers and 150 attendees explored ways to expand the practice of aquaponics through research, education, commercial, and community opportunities.

While in Albuquerque, Brian and Jose met with a variety of producers, including Yes Housing Inc., a 2022 Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP) grant recipient where they discussed challenges and opportunities surrounding rooftop garden systems; the 2021 UAIP grant recipient Center of Southwest Culture, where they met with project stakeholders, including Catholic Charities Refugee Support and Angelo Mitchell, an agricultural producer committed to connecting his operation with the surrounding community; and the Native American Community Academy (NACA), where they visited with the Inspired Schools Network Indigenous Farm Hub team and harvested native medicine and learned about indigenous agricultural practices.

Nina Bhattacharyya, Urban Agriculture Specialist with OUAIP served on a panel at “Corridor Connect: Ecology + Economy for a Better Florida.” The discussion explored ways cities are embracing sustainability and resilience, with Nina presenting on how local governments can support local food production through land use planning.

OUAIP staff met with Henderson County to learn about the great things happening in their food waste composting facility. Their USDA Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) Cooperative Agreement was instrumental in providing power and equipment to the facility which is currently collecting food waste from six Henderson County Public Schools. County personnel sought out funding after their contract expired with a private hauler. The once public-private partnership is now a fully public operation, demonstrating that municipalities of all sizes have the capacity to implement their own composting and food waste reduction strategies.

Henderson County Environmental Programs Coordinator Amy Schmitte said, “The CFWR project has had a great impact on Henderson County and our ability to implement and expand the composting facility and programs. The County has increased diversion through the residential food waste drop off, expanded the school compost program, and increased home diversion methods by offering backyard compost bins to residents. We look forward to diverting additional food waste in the future through other collection sources like restaurants and farms.” 

USDA Highlights

• October marks the beginning of National Farm to School Month. Check out the resources, Toolkit, and events calendar and join the celebration! 
• USDA Makes Available More Than $60 Million in School Meals, Launches New Partnership

USDA Offers New Crop Insurance Program for Producers Using Controlled Environments. The new Controlled Environment program from USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) provides coverage against plant diseases subject to destruction orders for plants grown in fully enclosed controlled environments. Available beginning in the 2024 crop year, the Controlled Environment program provides a risk management resource for urban, specialty crop, and organic producers who often use controlled environments as a major part of their operations.

People’s Garden Initiative

On October 26 at 3:30pm ET, join the next USDA’s People’s Garden webinar, focusing on USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service resources that support child nutrition and the important role community and school gardens can play to make healthy food accessible. Register in advance.

In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, check out these resources to build inclusive gardens for all people. If you’re in the Washington, D.C. area, we welcome you to the Headquarters People’s Gardens where we have built wheelchair accessible garden beds.

• Oregon State University: Gardens are for Everyone
• Mississippi State University: Tips for Gardening with Special Needs Groups
• University of Georgia: Raised Garden Bed Dimensions
• What Extension Professionals Need to Know About Accessibility, Safety, and Educational Programming

Our partners at the Xerces Society are recruiting volunteer ambassadors until Sept. 30. The program mobilizes volunteers to advance invertebrate conservation by participating in community science, organizational tasks, and community engagement. 

What We’re Reading

• NPR: Building Relationships Between Farmers and Local Schools
• Healthy Food Policy Project: Moving Beyond Food Deserts in Healthy Food Policy
• Maryland Today: How to Get Urban Farms Flowing in the Right Direction: Harvest the Rainwater
• BioCycle Nationwide Survey: Full-Scale Food Waste Composting Infrastructure In The U.S.
• StarTribune: An ambitious push to help small farmers
• Fast Company: 5 reasons why cities should create an office of urban agriculture
• Strong Town: Want To Build a Stronger Community? Start by Supporting Local Farmers

In Case You Missed It

• USDA Announces $27.6 Million to Support Underserved and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers through the 2501 Program
• USDA Invests Nearly a Half Billion Dollars in the Food for Progress and McGovern Dole Programs to Strengthen Global Food Security Using US Commodities
• Biden-Harris Administration Invests More than $100 Million in Recycling Infrastructure Projects Through Investing in America Agenda

Last but not least, share your harvesting experience for Farmers.gov’s #Harvest2023 campaign! To share your experience on @FarmersGov social media, follow these steps:

• Collect photos of what’s happening on your operation as you harvest.
• We’d love to see the people that make it happen, like friends and family.
• Write an email to FP.Social@usda.gov, attach your photos/video, and tell us:
  • Your name, the location of your operation, and the name of your operation.
  • Your operation’s Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter pages, if you have them.
  • What are you harvesting this year?
  • Where does your harvest go? How is it used?
  • What are your personal thoughts on this year’s harvest season?
• Please note that by submitting your photo/video, you are granting USDA permission to use these materials for outreach and education purposes. Remember to follow @FarmersGov on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Instagram, and we look forward to sharing your story!

To submit questions or topics for future Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production newsletters, email urbanagriculture@usda.gov.