“The Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Committee has already submitted more than a dozen recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture and continues to provide direct feedback to USDA about how to better serve producers and communities,” said Terry Cosby, Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which oversees USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. “These new members will provide valuable input on innovative production, higher education, the supply chain, and urban farming to guide our programs and policies.”

Members of the Committee include representative from urban and innovative agricultural production, higher education or extension programs, non-profits, business and economic development, supply chain, and financing. Last year, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack appointed four new members to the Committee to replace members whose terms expired. The Committee’s last public meeting was held in April 2024.

Nominations

USDA is seeking nominations for individuals representing a broad spectrum of expertise. Four positions are open for nominations including:

• One individual who is an agricultural producer or farmer using innovative technology.
• One individual representing an institution of higher education or extension program.
• One individual with supply chain experience, which may include a food aggregator, wholesale food distributor, food hub, or an individual who has direct-to-consumer market experience.
• One individual representing related experience in urban, indoor and other emerging agriculture production practices.

Individuals who wish to be considered for membership must submit a nomination package including the following:

• A completed background disclosure form (Form AD-755) (PDF, 2.1 MB) signed by the nominee.
• A brief summary explaining the nominee’s interest in one or more open vacancies including any unique qualifications that address the membership composition and criteria described above.
• A resume providing the nominee’s background, experience, and educational qualifications.
• Recent publications by the nominee relative to extending support for urban agriculture or innovative production (optional).
• Letter(s) of endorsement (optional).

Nomination packages must be submitted by email to UrbanAgricultureFederalAdvisoryCommittee@usda.gov or postmarked by July 6, 2024. If sending by mail, packages should be addressed to USDA NRCS, Attn: Brian Guse, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4083, Washington, DC 20250. Any interested person or organization may nominate qualified individuals for membership, including self-nominations. For special accommodations, contact Markus Holliday at UrbanAgricultureFederalAdvisoryCommittee@usda.gov.

Additional details are available in the Federal Register notice.

More Information

The Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production was established through the 2018 Farm Bill. It is led by NRCS and works in partnership with numerous USDA agencies that support urban agriculture and innovative production. The Committee is part of a broad USDA investment in urban agriculture and innovative production. Other efforts include:

• Investing $9.1 million for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production competitive grants in fiscal year 2023.
• Administering the People’s Garden Initiative, which celebrates collaborative gardens across the country and worldwide that benefit their communities by growing fresh, healthy food and supporting resilient, local food systems using sustainable practices and providing greenspace.
• Investing approximately $11.5 million in cooperative agreements that develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans in fiscal year 2023.
• Investing $40 million, made possible by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, into partnerships with community-based organizations to that will conduct outreach, education and technical assistance to support urban producers.
• Investing in risk management education to broaden reach of crop insurance among urban and innovative producers.
• Organizing 27 FSA urban county committees to make important decisions about how FSA farm programs are administered locally. Urban farmers who participate in USDA programs in the areas selected are encouraged to participate by nominating and voting for county committee members.
• Establishing 17 new Urban Service Centers staffed by FSA and NRCS employees where urban producers can access farm loan, conservation, disaster assistance and risk management programs.
• Partnering with the Vermont Law and Graduate School Center for Agriculture and Food Systems to develop resources that help growers understand and work through local policies.

Learn more at www.usda.gov/urban. For additional resources available to producers, download the Urban Agriculture at a Glance brochure or visit www.farmers.gov/urban.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities throughout America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

My forefathers were crofters living off the land in whatever way they could in the Hebridean islands off the north-west coast of Scotland. In the Western Isles the land mass is harsh, with rocky terrain, few trees for cover and battered by Atlantic swells. Crofters like my grandfather reared sheep, and the land was cultivated for hard crops like potatoes and turnips.

My summer holidays on my grandfather’s family croft on the Isle of Harris. Imagine trying to cultivate this land? The terrain, as you can see, was like the rocky side of the moon.

I often wonder what my grandfather would make of my way to grow food in my cloning rooms and hydroponic greenhouse. I’m not sure if he would understand, but if he tasted the food I guess he would believe it. Ironically, the inhospitable terrain of the Hebrides would be the ideal place to site a vertical farm, securing food production on the islands. 

Like my grandfather, I have tried to inspire my children with my passion for growing my own food using CEA. My sons have all grown up knowing about hydroponics. Perhaps it will be years before they acknowledge the ideas, but at least they have a grounding in the basics. We must move with the times if we want the future farmers to have the skills to feed themselves and others. They need inspirational leaders to follow, or perhaps just a mom.

Is farming in your DNA? Why don’t you share your story of family farming with us and how you are inspiring the next generation?

Janet Colston PhD is pharmacologist with an interest in growing ‘functional’ foods that have additional phytonutrients and display medicinal qualities that are beneficial to human health. She grows these using a range of techniques including plant tissue micropropagation and controlled environmental agriculture to ensure the highest quality control.

Meeting details can be viewed in the Federal Register Notice. Written comments can be submitted via UrbanAgricultureFederalAdvisoryCommittee@usda.gov by April 24 at 11:59 p.m. The Committee will deliberate and vote on proposed recommendations and address public comments during the meeting. USDA will share the agenda between 24 to 48 hours prior to the meeting on the Committee’s webpage. 

The Committee is managed by the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production and was established through the 2018 Farm Bill and is part of a broad USDA investment in urban agriculture.

Black History Month is a time of celebration, education, and reflection at Black Seeds Urban Farm, located in Memphis, Tennessee. Bobby and Derravia Rich started the community garden to provide local, organic fruits, vegetables, and nuts to neighbors with little or no access to fresh, nutritious food.“Black History Month is a time to reflect on the rich agricultural heritage ingrained in our culture,” said Bobby. “Being urban farmers, we see ourselves as custodians of sustainable foods that have nourished our communities for generations, reaching back to ancient history.”Educational events and workshops during Black History Month highlight agricultural practices deeply rooted in Black culture. “We take pride in growing varieties of produce that honor our ancestors like a variety of greens, black walnuts, okra, pecans and more; while recognizing the essential role these foods have played in sustaining and nourishing our communities throughout history,” said Derravia. “The struggles and triumphs of our ancestors motivate us to continue cultivating sustainable foods and maintaining a connection to our agricultural roots. Each crop we grow is a testament to the resilience and resourcefulness embedded in our cultural history, serving as a living tribute to those who came before us.”

Black Seeds is more than an urban farm, it is a local food movement that underscores the power of people working together for the common good. It embodies the principles of the People’s Garden, inspiring people to join, grow, and teach.Wellness is about more than healthy food. It includes strong community ties, space to relax, and shared concern for the health of our planet. The farm’s visitors are invited to use the space in whatever way nourishes them the most, — from picking their own produce, to enjoying a quiet space for meditation, to relaxing in the hammocks surrounded by nature, to gathering for a picnic or event.

“Black History Month serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring legacy of our community,” said Derravia. “It fuels our passion for urban farming, inspires us to contribute meaningfully to the People’s Garden Initiative and fosters a sustainable, thriving future for generations to come.”

“These Composting and Food Waste Reduction projects help communities reduce food waste and greenhouse gas emissions,” said Terry Cosby, Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which houses the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. “Local strategies and tools like these are important climate solutions and also contribute to food security at the community level.”  

USDA prioritized projects that anticipate or demonstrate economic benefits, incorporate plans to make compost easily accessible to farmers, including community gardeners, integrate other food waste strategies, including food recovery efforts and collaborate with multiple partners. The collaboration between NIFA and the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production is part of USDA’s framework to transform the U.S. food system to benefit consumers, producers and rural communities by providing more options, increasing access, and creating new and better markets for small and mid-size producers. 

“This work with our USDA colleagues in the Natural Resources Conservation Service is one example of how we are working together to resolve this critical issue,” said NIFA Director Dr. Manjit K. Misra. “These customer-focused projects will have significant impacts on the agency’s goal to reduce food loss and waste.”  

Recipients include projects in 23 states. Some highlights of recipients include:  

• The City of Cleveland, Ohio, will expand current drop-off residential composting locations, increase waste diversion and access to composting services, and provide subsidized monthly subscriptions to composting services to SNAP-eligible households. 
• The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Pendleton, Ore., will initiate and expand on community efforts to improve waste management and diversion of food waste from Tribal government facilities while engaging members on food waste management issues.  
• The Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation District in Albuquerque, N.M., will support a community compost co-op and a farm compost hub at locations that typically cannot access existing private composting services available in the area.   

For a complete list of these recommended cooperative agreement recipients and project summaries, visit usda.gov/urban. These new agreements build on USDA’s $12 million investment in 82 agreements since 2020.  

More Information       

The Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production was established through the 2018 Farm Bill. It is led by NRCS and works in partnership with numerous USDA agencies that support urban agriculture and innovative production. These cooperative agreements are part of a broader USDA investment in urban and innovative agriculture. Other efforts include:      

• Investing $9.1 million for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production competitive grants in fiscal year 2023.     
• Renewing the People’s Garden Initiative, which celebrates collaborative gardens across the country and worldwide that benefit their communities by growing fresh, healthy food and supporting resilient, local food systems using sustainable practices and providing greenspace.    
• Creating and managing a Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production to advise the Secretary on the development of policies and outreach relating to urban agriculture.  
• Investing in risk management education to broaden reach of crop insurance among urban producers.   
• Organizing 17 USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) urban county committees to make important decisions about how FSA farm programs are administered locally. Urban farmers who participate in USDA programs in the areas selected are encouraged to participate by nominating and voting for county committee members.    

NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research, education and Extension across the nation to make transformative discoveries that solve societal challenges. NIFA supports initiatives that ensure the long-term viability of agriculture and applies an integrated approach to ensure that groundbreaking discoveries in agriculture-related sciences and technologies reach the people who can put them into practice. In FY2023, NIFA’s total investment was $2.6 billion.     

Learn more at usda.gov/urban. For additional resources available to producers, download the Urban Agriculture at a Glance brochure or visit farmers.gov/urban.  Additional resources on food loss and waste prevention are available at www.usda.gov/foodlossandwaste.

After an engaging first episode, the ‘Urban Greenhouse Talks’ returns with its lens turned to sustainable urban development.Three prominent women within this sector will draw examples from their fruitful careers to explore opportunities and challenges in realising urban farming projects all over the world. 

Meiny Prins, CEO of Priva, initiator of the Sustainable Urban Delta programme and one of the Inspiring Fifty The Netherlands will share her vision on sustainable urban development and reflect on the role that urban farming can play in the future. To support her point, Manila de Iuliis, Chief Urban Development Officer of World of Walas will present already existing examples of integrating food production into urban infrastructure. Finally, Tiffany Tsui, CSO of Vertical Farm Institute will discuss the most important considerations related to current regulatory context. Hosts Renee Snijders and Ed Smith will facilitate discussion on the financial feasibility of urban farming and the role that various actors can play.

Stay tuned for a thought provoking discussion powered by EatThis and WUR Student Challenges!

Link to listen to/ download the episode

What is the ‘Urban Greenhouse Challenge #3’?

The Urban Greenhouse Challenge is an international student competition that aims to catalyse innovation in urban farming. The third edition of the Challenge focuses on creating an urban farm concept that ensures year-round sustainable and affordable food production while also generating income for the local residents of Ward 7, a neighbourhood in Washington DC, USA. Read more about the Urban Greenhouse Challenge.

About WUR Student Challenges:

Wageningen University & Research organises Challenges for students worldwide and supports WUR teams that participate in student competitions via WUR Student Challenges. These challenges pose a unique and enriching opportunity for students to work on real-life problems and to make a difference. Find out more about the opportunities for both students and sponsoring enterprises.

In the first episode, hosts Renee Snijders and Ed Smit look back at the origins of the Urban Greenhouse Challenge and examine how urban farming has changed in the last 10 years. They interview the godfather of the competition, Prof. Gert Spaargaren (WUR), the ‘brain’ behind the third, social-impact edition, Dr. Sigrid Wertheim-Heck (WUR) and Henry Gordon Smith, who is CEO and founder of Agritecture (one of the partners of the Challenge). 

This segment will also look at the future of urban farming. The guests will discuss the role of food innovation in relation to social innovation and the value of local communities as part of new advancements in the sector. “Greenhouses need to match the society’s needs”, points out Dr.Wertheim-Heck, an argument supported by Prof. Spaargaren’s observation that “the food agenda should follow the social agenda.” Henry Gordon-Smith will share examples of urban farming projects that successfully meet social needs. 

The first episode of the podcast aims to inspire the participants in the Urban Greenhouse Challenge and urban farming professionals to rethink urban food production. Instead of focusing purely on technical and financial aspects, the podcast invites everyone to include social impact in the equation. 

“Urban Greenhouse Talks” is produced by Wageningen University & Research in collaboration with Eat This. It aims to channel the expertise from various leaders in the urban farming sector.

Link to listen to/ download the episode

What is the “Urban Greenhouse Challenge #3”?

The Urban Greenhouse Challenge is an international student competition that aims to catalyse innovation in urban farming. The third edition of the Challenge focuses on creating an urban farm concept that ensures year-round sustainable and affordable food production while also generating income for the local residents of Ward 7, a neighbourhood in Washington DC, USA. Read more about the Urban Greenhouse Challenge.

About WUR Student Challenges:

Wageningen University & Research organises Challenges for students worldwide and supports WUR teams that participate in student competitions via WUR Student Challenges. These challenges pose a unique and enriching opportunity for students to work on real-life problems and to make a difference. Find out more about the opportunities for both students and sponsoring enterprises.

The two companies will work together to accelerate the urban farming and controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry across the country by offering new entrepreneurs a more accessible way to raise capital. This type of farming can reduce the environmental impact of the food system and increase local food security. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the fragility of centralized food production,” said Chris Rawley, CEO of Harvest Returns. “Developing additional indoor farms will distribute growing operations closer to where food is consumed, creating a more resilient food system.” 

In 2020, the USDA offered the availability of only $3M in grants for urban agriculture and innovative production. Agritecture notes that the average CapEx, or startup cost, for controlled environment farms modeled via their Agritecture Designer digital platform is $512,000, and nearly one-third are over $1M.

“Since our founding in 2014, we’ve seen sustained, year-over-year growth in interest toward urban agriculture, especially amongst industry newcomers,” said Henry Gordon-Smith, Founder and CEO of Agritecture.
This growth has only accelerated since the onset of the pandemic, according to the team at Agritecture, which reported nearly a 2x increase in website traffic since Q1 of 2020. 

“Despite this increasing interest and the record levels of funding for the handful of indoor mega farms, financing continues to be one of the primary challenges for small and medium-scale CEA businesses,” Gordon-Smith notes. “Yet, we know these farms can achieve profitability with competitive payback periods, while still serving their local markets and communities.”

Gordon-Smith cites Agritecture’s 2019 and 2020 Global CEA Census Reports, produced alongside agtech solutions provider Autogrow, which show that nearly half of all CEA facilities are being started by those with no previous farming experience.

Furthermore, per their recent census, 78 percent of CEA business founders who attempted to raise money were unsuccessful in doing so through traditional financing sources, such as banks.

“By teaming up with Harvest Returns and their innovative financing platform, we can now deliver a direct link from our planning services and digital platform, Agritecture Designer, to funding opportunities for these smaller-scale facilities,” added Gordon-Smith.

About Agritecture
Agritecture, LLC is the global leader in urban agriculture advisory services, having worked on over 120 projects in more than 25 countries. Based out of New York, Agritecture is on a mission to empower key stakeholders and accelerate the agriculture industry with climate-smart strategies through a proven methodology, real-world data, and an expansive network.
For more information, please visit agritecture.com.

About Harvest Returns
Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, Harvest Returns, Inc. is a financial technology marketplace created in 2016 by two military veterans to bring agricultural producers together with investors. Through democratizing the agriculture investment process, the online platform provides curated, diversified offerings of farms, ranches, and timberland to qualified investors.
For more information, please visit harvestreturns.com.

In the faceof climate change, rising populations, rapid urbanization – and a global pandemic – cities face increasing pressure to forge new partnerships and attract innovative solutions to guarantee thefood security of their residents.

• Unique virtual experience: an emphasis will be placed on driving engagement amongst viewers through our interactive platform and solving for the “virtual fatigue” through crisp, pre-edited content and a concise daily agenda.
• Peer-to-peer connections: interact through virtual networking groups, private 1-1 chat, and live Q&A forums.
• Global audience: consisting of AgTech startups, investors, new & expanding farmers, technology providers, urban planners, corporates, city officials, and more.
• New insights: You’ll hear honest takes from leaders in the industry and gain first access to newly released reports, including Agritecture’s Global CEA Census.

Check out the great line-up of speakers!

The format for each Wednesday session includes one or more live keynote speakers supplemented by breakout discussions, poster sessions, and live breaks with sponsors.

Before September 18, registration is only $100 ($50 if you are a student). After September 18, registration goes up to $125 and $75 for students. Here’s the really good part about registration – all registered attendees get access to the breakout session presentations starting in September. They also get access to all live and breakout discussions as they occur each Wednesday in October, and they will have 24/7 access to all recordings of presentations through April 2021.

The organizers have lined up a diverse group of breakout session presenters and topics. Check out the UFSS website for all the details on breakouts. Keynote topics, speakers, and dates are:

• Oct. 7 – Urban Agriculture and Food Systems – Building Climate-Resilient Urban and Regional Food Systems, Jess Halliday, associate of RUAF Global Partnership on Sustainable.

• Oct. 14 – Urban Agriculture, Climate Change and Food Security: Potential Solutions and Synergies, Chuck Rice, Kansas State University Distinguished Professor of Soil Microbiology.

• Oct. 21 – The Role of Urban Farming in Nutrition Security, Elizabeth Mitcham, director of the Horticulture Innovation Lab, University of California-Davis.

• Oct. 21 – Food Justice is More than Growing Food and Feeding People, Karen Washington, farmer and activist with Rise & Root Farm and Black Urban Growers.

• Oct. 28 – Fixes That Fail: Using Community-Based Systems Modeling to Diagnose Injustice in the Food System, Jill Clark, associate professor, John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University and Jennifer King, assistant director of training and community education, Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University.

• Oct. 28 – The Hydra-Headed Food System: Imagining the Whole and Connecting the Dots, Mark Winne, food policy expert, former executive of the Hartford Food System.

Register online today at the Urban Food Systems Symposium website. Got questions? Send those to the organizing committee at ufss@ksu.edu.

The USDA recently recognized aquaponics under their voluntary Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) program through the Specialty Crops Inspection (SCI) division. This program is in its pilot phase for audits and certification of selected aquaponics farms through the end of 2020. Having a set of guidelines for aquaponics helps to better align with the specifics of growing in soil-less media, using filtered fish waste for nutrient solution, and bio-integration of fish and plants in a growing facility.Prior to this pilot program, aquaponic farm audits were subject to standard GAP guidelines designed for produce crops grown in a field or cultivated in a greenhouse. This created challenges for auditors trying to modify or interpret guidelines for other growing methods that don’t align or apply to aquaponics. By launching this pilot program, the USDA has indicated that aquaponics is viewed as a commercially viable industry worthy of its own audit guidelines and food safety certification. Find out more about the USDA’s Aquaponics GAP Pilot Program here.

The Aquaponics Association is a nonprofit that connects growers and works to increase aquaponic production.

The 2018 U.S. Farm Bill charged the USDA with creating the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (“Urban Ag Office”). The Farm Bill noted that urban agriculture can “contribute to the revitalization of abandoned or underutilized urban land, [bring] social and economic benefits to urban communities, and [create] beneficial impacts on the urban landscape.”

After months of navigating the Congressional appropriations process, the necessary funding for the Urban Ag Office was finally signed into law in December 2019.

The Aquaponics Association reached out to the leadership of the Urban Ag Office and Congressional Offices to get a better understanding of the policies, funding opportunities, and timelines that will affect aquaponic growers.

Here is the Urban Ag Office’s Statement to the Aquaponics Association:

“Thank you for your interest in our efforts to stand up the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. The Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service was delegated responsibility to implement the 2018 Farm Bill provisions on behalf of USDA and I have been designated as the Interim Director for the Office. We are working collaboratively with other USDA agencies to ensure they each have an equal voice in establishing the office, consistent with the 2018 Farm Bill provisions, and they are able to contribute in areas that fall within their respective missions and areas of expertise.

“As you are aware, the 2018 Farm Bill authorized $25 million annually for the Office. However, the Fiscal Year 2020 appropriation was capped at $5 million and limits the degree to which we can implement the authorized activities. We are moving forward with standing up the office and the external federal advisory committee that serves to provide recommendations to the Secretary, forging a path to establish the urban/suburban pilot county committees, and developing announcements for grants and agreements provided for in the Farm Bill.

“We are planning a series of webinars that will be announced soon that are designed to provide interested persons and stakeholders information about the establishment of the office and the functions we anticipate implementing. We will ensure we keep your contact information on file so you receive information about these webinars.

Then, yesterday, as we were about to publish this article, the USDA released a new, $3 million in grants for urban agriculture initiatives that will increase food access, agricultural education, and innovative production methods within urban environments. Stay tuned for much more information on these grants in the coming weeks, and mark your calendars for a June 3, 2020 USDA webinar on the grant process.

Click to see the USDA Press Release on the $3 Million Urban Ag Grants for more information and webinar registration.

Aquaponics is already taking the urban agriculture and controlled environmental agriculture industries by storm. While accounting for $19 million in 2020, the market is expected to climb to $46 million by the end of 2026 (that’s a CAGR of over 11.5%).  This potential impact, however, could be greatly increased with federal guidance, funding, and business support that the Urban Ag Office is intended to provide.

The following list highlights several forms of support that the Aquaponics Association will continue to advocate for on behalf of the entire aquaponics industry: 

• Funding: Due to high startup costs, aquaponics can be unattainable for many individuals and/or communities looking to begin an operation. We will continue to advocate the new Office to support aquaponics initiatives with appropriate levels of funding needed to develop adequate systems that will lead to successful operations (both for non-profit and for-profit organizations).
• Clarity surrounding policies: Though widely understood as beneficial, aquaponics falls within an agricultural ‘no-mans-land’ surrounding guidelines at the local, state, and federal level. This grey-area is partially because aquaculture, food crops, and other crops all fall under different regulatory regimes. Basically the big bureaucracy gets confused and can’t function, like a deer in the headlights. Whether in regards to food safety, greenhouse sterility, organic certification, etc., the Aquaponics Association will promote policies that match the operational realities faced by aquaponic growers across the country.
• Defining value: Beyond the monetary value surrounding the produce and protein sustainably grown in aquaponic operations, there are numerous social benefits to localizing food production in urban spaces. From local job creation and educational opportunities about agriculture/nutrition, to decreasing municipal carbon footprints associated with the traditional agricultural system, the Aquaponics Association will work to ensure that Congress and the USDA fully grasp the true value of aquaponic growing.

In these uncertain times of the coronavirus, food shortages and food inequity, the concept of growing food in urban locations is gaining greater interest. The lack of access to fresh produce and the existence of food deserts in major cities are spotlighting the need for more communities, organizations and individuals to look for ways to help resolve these issues.

Expanding urban agriculture education

Purdue Extension has offered an urban agriculture program in Marion and Allen Counties since 2016. Indianapolis in Marion County and Fort Wayne in Allen County are the state’s largest metropolitan areas. The extension’s Urban Agriculture Certificate program classroom portion ran from October through March. Workshops were conducted during the spring and summer. About 20 people participated annually in Marion County and 10 participated in the Allen County programs.

“The people who attended these classroom programs included experienced urban farmers and some who were looking to get started in urban farming,” said Nathan Shoaf, urban agriculture coordinator at Purdue Extension. “In Marion County there were a few participants who were already doing urban agriculture. Some of them operated well-known neighborhood market stands. Others used the program as a motivator to expand community gardens. Many people who participated wanted to learn more about growing at home to feed their families or their local neighborhoods through community gardens.

“Some of the program’s participants struggled with the required weekly classroom attendance and the time commitment necessary to complete the program. Because of the amount of time and effort that was put forth by the extension staff to conduct the program, we were trying to figure out what we could do to get more people involved.”

Increasing access to a wider audience

During the four years the classroom program was offered the Purdue Extension staff had the opportunity to tweak the content and make revisions.

“We have had time to respond to the evaluations that we provided the students, responding to their feedback and tailoring some of the program modules to better meet their needs,” Shoaf said. “We gained from the students in regards to if there was a particular interest or if someone wanted to learn more about a particular topic or concept. We also received questions and comments about offering more courses online.”

In September 2019 the extension staff began working on a four course online certification program, Urban Agriculture Certificate, that would be available in September 2020. Two courses have been released and are available for completion. The first course, “Growing Guide for Healthy Crops,” launched in March.

“As we were working through the courses we figured the growing guide was something that people would want for the spring when they are starting their projects,” Shoaf said. “We put more emphasis on that course to make sure that it was available in March. We had about 15 people sign up for that course when it was first released.”

A second course, “Site Assessment for Fertile Ground,” was scheduled to be released in April.

“The second course focuses on soil contamination risks and discusses raised beds and best management practices to mitigate potential contaminant concerns and land use agreements,” Shoaf said. “Some people only want soil health information or site design. We used that feedback to help guide us in terms of course structure so that we could make sure those topics are complementary, but also separate.

“We are finding some of the participants are interested in site assessment and they may not even be from an urban ag background. They may have an environmental consulting or engineering background or are interested in brownfields or site redevelopment. One of the consequences of making these courses available individually is it brings new people to the table and makes them aware of these kinds of programs and urban ag in general.”

Focus on soil health, organic practices

The third course, “Agricultural Site Design and Soil Health,” is schedule to launch on May 18.

This course focuses on site design concepts in terms of designing an urban farm or community garden and covers soil health principles and techniques for achieving soil health, composting, vermicomposting, organic production, water management and irrigation topics.

“A lot of the organic production concerns and questions tie in with the soil health component,” Shoaf said.” Those topics fit together well for this module.”

Based on past coarse evaluations and input from farmers, most are interested in organic management techniques.

“We don’t shy away from discussing conventional agricultural practices,” Shoaf said. “Often times when I’m talking to farmers, they are really interested in determining site assessment and whether or not they can grow on a particular piece of land. Most want to be productive in a year or two. They want to know how to achieve this and ask for recommendations.

“I may have them collaborate with some of our extension specialists to make sure they’re achieving their soil health needs and fertility. We can also help them plan long term with organic amendments and compost applications and make sure they can find reliable suppliers. We stress the importance of an annual soil test to make sure these amendments are not being over-applied.”

The final course, “Roadmap for Strong Roots,” is scheduled to be available on June 22. This course focuses on crafting a mission and vision, asset-based community development team building, SMART goals and funding.

“The Roadmap is really the first course that we recommend that participants take,” Shoaf said. “Even though we recommend this course first, participants are allowed to start in the order that they want.”

Online courses offer flexibility

Shoaf said the certificate program has generated a lot of questions from people who want to receive additional information as the courses become available.

“That is a good sign to me that shows there is interest in the program and not just from people in state,” he said. “Besides in-state inquiries, we have received inquiries from people in 13 states and even Cambodia. We have also reached a broader in-state audience besides our two largest metropolitan areas. We wanted to demonstrate that the interest in urban ag doesn’t only happen in major metropolitan areas and anyone could be dealing with urban soil challenges.”

Once all the classes are available, they don’t have to be taken in any specific order.

“Some of the feedback we were getting was people wanted to pick what they needed and move on,” Shoaf said. “We found students might be engaged in one particular topic area or one module and that might be all that they need for their operation or their goals. We wanted to enable them to dictate what they wanted and how they wanted to navigate through the program.”

Shoaf said the extension staff has tried to balance the courses.

“There is a lot of video content that we have created during the last couple of years,” he said. “There may be people who have less experience in some areas than others so they may need to pause a video more often or need to take more notes.

“At the end of each course there is an assessment quiz that participants must complete at least 80 percent. Each quiz is about 20 questions each. There is also a final evaluation for the certification program. The evaluation can help us learn what works and what doesn’t. This input from the students will be used to improve the program.”

For more information on these courses and the Urban Ag Certificate, go to https://www.purdue.edu/dffs/urbanag/programs/urban-ag-certificate/

For more: Nathan Shoaf, Purdue Extension, West Lafayette, IN 47907; nlshoaf@purdue.edu.

This article is property of Urban Ag News and was written by David Kuack, a freelance technical writer in Fort Worth, Texas.

Urban agriculture focuses on raising food in urban or suburban areas. These efforts are often launched to help meet the nutritional needs of a community and practiced through such creative means as finding ways to optimize limited space. Cities and towns that support urban agriculture may see increased food security, youth development, small business development, reduced blight in neighborhoods and increased quality of life.

“Urban farmers throughout Indiana are interested in enhancing their farming operations. Purdue Extension’s fully online certificate program provides students the flexibility to earn their certificate from anywhere, anytime,” said Nathan Shoaf, urban agriculture state coordinator for Purdue Extension.

The certificate program will serve Hoosier cities and communities around the country. Purdue Extension educators crafted a curriculum that affords participants a heightened understanding of the challenges urban agriculturalists face, from issues of soil contamination to land access and workforce cultivation.

Students are able to take courses in any order, start at any time and have 60 days to complete each course. The full certificate can be earned within a year. Courses include road map for strong roots, agricultural site design and soil health, site assessment for fertile ground, and growing guide for healthy crops.

Students can register for individual courses or the full certificate at http://www.eventreg.purdue.edu/online/urbanagcert. More information about the program can be found at: https://www.purdue.edu/dffs/urbanag/programs/urban-ag-certificate/.

Writer: Emma Ea Ambrose, 765-494-2406, eeambros@purdue.edu

Source: Nathan Shoaf, 775-496-1930, nlshoafp@purdue.edu

Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415;

Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu