USDA Announces Grants and Technical Assistance Funding for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing a total of $14.4 million in grants and technical assistance through two separately funded projects to support urban agriculture and innovative production. USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) is making available $2.5 million for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP) grants, building on $53.7 million invested in UAIP grant projects by OUAIP since 2020. In addition, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which oversees OUAIP, is providing $11.9 million in funding through an interagency agreement with the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to promote the hiring of Urban Agriculture Conservation Extension Educators through the Cooperative Extension programs at Land-grant Universities.

“This grant program continues to grow in popularity, and we look forward to partnering with more communities nationwide to strengthen local food systems and increase access to healthy foods,” said Louis Aspey, Acting Chief of NRCS. “We’re also excited for this opportunity to add experienced Urban Agriculture Conservation Extension Educators to enhance our customer service through the partnership with NIFA.”

Read the full article from the USDA here.