USDA Invests $5.2 Million in 17 Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Projects

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2024 - 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 Good for YouthUrban Farm in Indiana, 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 Terry Cosby, Chief of USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which oversees OUAIP. "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.

The selected project in Indiana expands the Good for Youth Urban Farm in Lake County. This project aims to create an innovative controlled space to foster collaboration between public and private-sector organizations to improve the health, wellness and quality of life for all citizens in the county. The project will expand the Good for Youth farm that is located at the Lake County Juvenile Justice Complex increasing farm production capacity, increasing program capacity, and building more community partnerships in Crown Point, Indiana.

In total, 17 projects were funded in 13 states. For a complete list of grant recipients and project summaries, visit usda.gov/urban.

More Information

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.