Biden-Harris Government Puts Their Money in City Farming Initiatives
In Philadelphia, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a plan to revamp urban agriculture with strategic investments. This plan boosts producers’ access to markets, strengthens the national food system, and promotes healthier lifestyle choices.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small unveiled the plan during a tour demonstrating the impacts of President Biden’s ‘Investing in America’ agenda. This agenda fuels economic opportunities for families and businesses.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will establish 17 new Urban Service Centers and ten urban county committees. They’ve also allocated approximately $10.7 million to the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program and plan to expand the Healthy Food Financing Initiative with around $30 million in funding.
Secretary Vilsack confirmed their commitment to urban communities through increased market opportunities, strengthening food systems, and investing in urban agriculture. The overall goal is to fortify local economies, build resilient communities, and improve food accessibility for families.
The initiatives underscore the Biden-Harris Administration’s ‘Investing in America’ agenda, supporting their National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Deputy Secretary Torres Small reiterated the administration’s dedication to investing in farmers across the nation, emphasizing the importance of access to healthy, locally-grown food for all families.
The USDA, which already works with farmers via over 2,300 Service Centers across the country, is adding 17 new Urban Service Centers. These will be staffed with experts from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). They will offer assistance with farm loans, conservation, disaster help, and risk management.
The USDA is also setting up 10 new committees in urban counties. These groups will aid in managing local FSA programs.
On top of that, the USDA will invest $40 million, thanks to President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, to strengthen these new centers and committees. This will involve partnering with local organizations. These partners will promote USDA resources, help urban farmers join in, and improve local food systems’ resilience.
For instance, in Philadelphia, the USDA will work with PASA Sustainable Agriculture. They’ll hold community events for city farmers, provide specific training and workshops, and offer help with signing up for USDA programs.
Additionally, the USDA will collaborate with Virginia State University’s Small Farm Outreach Program and Cornell University’s Small Farm Center. They will help guide the local partner organizations and Urban Service Centers. They will collect data, evaluate program barriers and effectiveness, and suggest ways to get more people involved in the future.
The USDA will also partner with To Improve Mississippi Economics, Inc. (TIME, Inc). They offer outreach, training, and technical help to small, resource-limited, and underserved producers. This collaboration will fund partnerships with community organizations in the next 10 cities where urban county committees will be established in 2024.
These investments are part of the USDA’s broader support for urban farming, including:
- $7.4 million for 25 Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production competitive grants.
- Up to $9.5 million for Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) cooperative agreements for fiscal year 2023.
- Renewing the People’s Garden movement.
- Funding urban farming and food system projects through the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP). This helps develop and expand markets and businesses that connect farmers to consumers, including those in urban areas.
