There are a lot of priorities for urban agriculture, and a lot of ways the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other organizations can support those priorities. But offering equitable access to farming resources and food for marginalized communities is a theme that runs through them all, said members of the USDA’s new Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production.
“Urban agriculture is more than just growing food; it is about changing people’s lives,” said committee member Bobby Wilson, of Metro Atlanta Urban Farm, in College Park, Georgia. “We use urban agriculture … as an instrument to deal with challenges that our communities are faced with.”
The committee, whose 12 members were announced in early February, held its first public meeting virtually March 23-24.
Background
The USDA launched the committee as one way to help the department better support urban agriculture. Its creation was directed by the 2018 Farm Bill, which also included other provisions for advancing urban agriculture, such as pilot urban and suburban Farm Service Agency county committees.
USDA announced the committee members Feb. 1, after more than a year of seeking nominations and reviewing more than 300 nominees. Committee members will serve one to three year terms. The committee will help identify barriers to urban agriculture, and will advise agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on policy development and outreach.
“At the highest level of this department, there is keen interest in urban agriculture,” Vilsack told committee members during the meeting.
The committee also heard from other USDA representatives, including Natural Resources Conservation Service chief Terry Cosby, and Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production program manager Leslie Glover, among others, about the office’s and the committee’s roles and responsibilities at the USDA.
Priorities
During the second day of the meeting, committee members discussed their individual priorities, and talked about what priorities they wanted to focus on and form subcommittees around as a group.
The top five priorities that came up were access to USDA support, equitable distribution of food and farming resources, workforce development and innovative production, access to fresh produce and access to land.
Committee members said equity and supporting marginalized communities in and through urban agriculture is a theme that runs throughout most of the other priorities they discussed. Throughout the two days, committee members noted the positive impact urban agriculture can have on communities.
The committee also heard public comments from around the U.S. on everything from education, to food access, to aquaculture.
Committee acting vice chair Carl Wallace, of Abundant Life Farm, in Akron, Ohio, encouraged people to keep reaching out with ideas and concerns.
“We are here to serve the community, and we are taking every one of your comments seriously,” he told speakers at the end of the public forum.
Farm bill
Throughout the two days, committee members often noted discussions for the 2023 Farm Bill are already starting. The committee has about a year left to advocate for urban agriculture’s priorities in that bill.
“I am passionate about making sure we have … a 2023 farm bill that’s going to have our best interests,” Wallace said. “That’s the work we have to do.”
