Government invests in urban farming expansion

Jan 09, 2025
By Farms.com

$14.4M Grants for urban agriculture development

The USDA has unveiled $14.4 million in funding to promote urban agriculture and sustainable farming practices, divided between two impactful programs.

The Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP) Grants will provide $2.5 million for community gardens and nonprofit farms to enhance local food production, job training, and education.

These grants focus on planning and implementing urban agricultural projects such as hydroponics, vertical farming, and community-based food systems. Applications are open on Grants.gov until March 10, 2025.

Past grant recipients include -

Howard-Sumaico School District (Green Bay, WI) - Using hydroponics for nutritious food access.
Golden Triangle RC&D (Dawson, GA) - Supporting farmers with innovative vertical farming systems.

Technical Assistance Partnership (Phoenix, AZ) - Strengthening urban farming in South Phoenix.

Additionally, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in partnership with NIFA, will invest $11.9 million to hire Urban Agriculture Conservation Extension Educators.

These experts will work in designated urban priority locations, helping urban producers with resource conservation, zoning navigation, and climate-smart practices.

“NIFA is excited to partner with NRCS and Land-grant Universities to increase the footprint of Cooperative Extension in dedicated Urban Service Center sites across the country,” said Dr. Manjit K. Misra, USDA NIFA Director.

These efforts align with USDA’s broader goals of enhancing food systems, promoting equity, and fostering sustainable farming practices. For further details, visit USDA.gov/urban.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.