WASHINGTON, March 30, 2023 – The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourages urban producers, innovators and others to submit proposals for attendance at the public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (Committee) on April 18, 2023.
“The Federal Advisory Committee is a valuable source of information and advice for USDA,” said Terry Cosby, head of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which owns the USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. (OUAIP). “I encourage members of the public to come forward and submit ideas to the Committee to help us better serve urban entrepreneurs and innovators and their communities.”
Part of the USDA’s Committee to Support Local Agriculture and Innovation, is creating a website for the idea. Members include agricultural producers and representatives from the areas of higher education or extension projects, non-profits, business and economics, supply chains and finance. The committee last met in February 2023.
For the Meeting
Topics for the upcoming meeting include public comment and discussion on the following proposed topics:
- A new public database/website for grant programs
- Agricultural Service Business Loan Programs
- Nutrition Assistance Program
- Food waste and waste; a
- Food label.
The Committee will consider and vote on the proposed proposals and address public comments during the meeting. The USDA will share the plan between 24 and 48 hours before the meeting at www.usda.gov/partnerships/federal-advisory-committee-urban-ag.
The virtual meeting runs from 3 pm to 5 pm Eastern on April 18, 2023. To attend in person, register by April 18 on the Committee’s website. To submit comments, submit by 11:59 pm ET on May 2 through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Document NRCS-2023-0006.
For specific facilities, contact Markus Holliday at UrbanAgricultureFederalAdvisoryCommittee@usda.gov.
More details are available at the Federal Register announce.
More information
OUAIP was created through the 2018 Farm Bill. It is led by NRCS and works with many USDA organizations that support urban agriculture and innovation. The Federal Advisory Committee is part of a broader USDA grant to urban agriculture. Other activities include:
- Spending $ 7.5 million for the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production grant competition in the fiscal year 2023.
- Funds up to $9.5 million for Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) pilot programs for fiscal year 2023.
- Renewing the People’s Garden movement — fostering collaborative gardens across the country to join the People’s Garden community; grow using sustainable practices that benefit people and wildlife; and learn about agriculture and sustainable, local food systems. Provide technical and financial assistance through conservation programs offered by NRCS.
- Organization of 17 urban county committees agricultural services.
- Investing nearly $133 million in grants through the Agricultural Marketing Service’s Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) to develop, organize, and expand retail, local and regional food markets, and local food businesses.
- Helping child nutrition program managers integrate local foods through the Food and Nutrition Service’s Farm to School Program.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans every day in many positive ways. Under Biden-Harris’ leadership, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on developing local and regional food, fair markets for all producers, and ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using smart foods and forestry operations, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities across America, and achieving balance across the Department by removing barriers systems and building a more representative American workforce. For more information, visit www.usda.gov.
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