The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourages urban producers, innovative producers, and other stakeholders to virtually attend the third public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (Committee) on Nov. 29. This Committee will discuss recommendations it intends to submit to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to remove barriers to urban and innovative producers and increase access of urban and innovative producers to USDA programs and services.
“The federal advisory committee’s expertise and guidance is helping us dig into issues facing urban producers, enabling us to determine ways USDA can better serve them,” said Terry Cosby, Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which leads USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP). “This partnership helps urban producers as well as the neighborhoods they grow in, supporting equity and resilient local food systems and access to nutritious food.”
The Committee is part of USDA’s efforts to support urban and innovative agriculture, creating a network for feedback. Members include agricultural producers, and representatives from the areas of higher education or extension programs, non-profits, business and economic development, supply chains and financing. The inaugural public meeting of the Committee was held in March 2022 and a second public meeting was held in August 2022.
About the Meeting
Topics include:
- Election of the next Chairperson; and
- Discussion, deliberation and voting on recommendations for the Secretary.
The meeting will be held from 3-5 p.m. ET on Nov. 29. To attend virtually, register by Nov. 28 on the Committee’s webpage.
If you have written comments, submit by 11:59 p.m. Nov. 22. through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Docket #2022-24020.
For special accommodations, contact Markus Holliday at UrbanAgricultureFederalAdvisoryCommittee@usda.gov.
USDA will share the agenda between 24 to 48 hours prior to the meeting on www.usda.gov/partnerships/federal-advisory-committee-urban-ag. Additionally, other resources include the November 4 Federal Register notice and the Committee’s webpage.
Source : usda.gov