WASHINGTON, – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $5.2 million in 17 new grants that support urban agriculture and innovative production. Grant recipients, including Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest in Pennsylvania, will increase food production and access in economically distressed communities, provide job training and education, and allow partners to develop business plans and zoning proposals. These grants build on $46.8 million invested in 186 projects since 2020 and are part of USDA’s broad support for urban agriculture through its Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP).
“This grant program has continued to grow in popularity. We received over 620 applications this year, double from last year’s total and we are excited to support urban agriculture and innovative producers and improve access to healthy and nutritious food for local communities with this round of funding.” said Denise Coleman, State Conservationist for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Pennsylvania. “These projects support communities by growing fresh, healthy food, providing jobs and increasing access to healthy food in areas where grocery stores are scarce.”
Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grants
The Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP) competitive grants program supports a wide range of activities through grants that include planning and implementation activities. Planning activities initiate or expand efforts of farmers, gardeners, citizens, government officials, schools and other stakeholders in urban areas and suburbs, while implementation activities accelerate existing and emerging models of urban, indoor and other agricultural practices that serve farmers and communities.
Selected project in Pennsylvania includes Tree Pittsburgh Nursery which plans to establish new orchards in communities struggling with urban blight and poor soil quality in vacant lots designated for gardens, aiming to alleviate food deserts. The objective of this specific project is to make disease-resistant hardy fruit and nut nursery stock affordable and available to the local orchards, community garden and disadvantaged residents in Pittsburgh, PA.
In total, 17 projects were funded in 13 states. For a complete list of grant recipients and project summaries, visit usda.gov/urban.
