Feb 24, 2022
Editor’s Note: This article was written by Agritecture’s Director of Business Development, Jeffrey Landau, during his travels across the United States with Farms Unknown. This road trip documents farming in the United States, both urban and rural, indoor and outdoor. Follow Jeffrey here to get more insights on the farms and farmers who feed us.
CONTENT SOURCED FROM FARMS UNKNOWN
In Jan 2021, the USDA announced they would be creating an advisory committee on Urban Agriculture.
The 12-person committee will advise the Secretary of Agriculture on the development of policies and outreach relating to urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural production practices as well as identify any barriers to urban agriculture.
One year later, the committee is live!
Members include:
Jerry Ann Hebron, Mich., Urban Producer
Bobby Wilson, Ga., Urban Producer
Viraj Puri, N.Y., Innovative Producer
Kaben Smallwood, Okla., Innovative Producer
Sally Brown, Wash., Higher Education
John Erwin, Md., Higher Education
Carl Wallace, Ohio, Non-Profit Representative
John Lebeaux, Mass., Business and Economic Development Representative
Zachari Curtis, D.C., Supply Chain Experience
Allison Paap, Calif., Financing Entity Representative
Tara Chadwick, Fla., Related Experience
Angela Mason, Ill., Related Experience
As Secretary Vilsack notes,
Urban agriculture has been growing in impact and importance, and we are taking bold actions to build a support structure.
This right here is key.
A support structure is desperately needed to further the urban agriculture industry. Though the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production was established in 2018, we’ve only recently started to see the committees established, grants awarded, and leadership take shape.
Cities around the country are hiring urban ag directors, urban ag coordinators, and putting out requests for proposals (RFPs) to create urban ag plans: Atlanta, Philadelphia, Dallas, Austin, and more. Federal guidance and support is a critical component of building organizational capacity at each level in government.
I look forward to seeing what this committee recommends to the Secretary.
