Get the Details on USDA’s New Urban Agriculture Advisory Committee
February 8, 2022 
Viraj Puri of Gotham Greens is one of several members of USDA’s new Urban Agriculture Advisory Committee.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has selected 12 members to serve on the USDA’s inaugural Secretary’s Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture to provide input on policy development and to help identify barriers to urban agriculture as USDA works to promote urban farming and the economic opportunities it provides in cities across the country.
The new Committee is part of USDA’s efforts to support urban agriculture, creating a network for feedback. Urban agriculture plays an important role in producing fresh, healthy food in areas where grocery stores are scarce, and also provides jobs and beautifies neighborhoods.
“Urban agriculture has been growing in impact and importance, and we are taking bold actions to build a support structure,” Vilsack says. “I look forward to learning how we can better serve urban agricultural producers, which will complement our efforts focusing on equity, local food systems, access to safe and nutritional food, and new ways to address climate change.”
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, was the architect of the Urban Agriculture Act of 2016. The Act laid the groundwork for historic investments to address the needs of urban farmers in the 2018 Farm Bill, including the Secretary’s Advisory Committee.
“With every new urban farm, rooftop garden, and indoor crop, urban agriculture is helping create jobs, increase green space, and feed friends and neighbors,” says Senator Stabenow. “Michigan has long been a leader in urban agriculture. I’m so glad [these individuals] will be able to lend their expertise and wealth of experience to help grow this important sector. This is a historic opportunity to have their voices heard and shape urban agriculture for the future.”
The Committee is made up of agricultural producers and representatives from the areas of higher education or Extension programs, non-profits, business and economic development, supply chains, and financing.
Members include:
- Jerry Ann Hebron, Oakland Avenue Urban Farm, MI
- Bobby Wilson, Metro Atlanta Urban Farm, GA
- Viraj Puri, Gotham Greens
- Kaben Smallwood, Symbiotic Aquaponic, OK
- Sally Brown, University of Washington
- John Erwin, University of Maryland
- Carl Wallace, Abundant Life Farm, OH
- John Lebeaux, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
- Zachari Curtis, Dreaming Out Loud, Washington, DC,
- Allison Paap, American AgCredit, CA
- Tara Chadwick, FL
- Angela Mason, Chicago Botanic Garden
USDA and the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production peer reviewed more than 300 nominees, and Vilsack made the final selections. Selections ensured geographic, racial, and gender diversity and a broad range of agricultural experience. The new members will serve terms of one to three years.
The first meeting of this inaugural committee, which will be open to the public, will take place in late February. More details will be available in the Federal Register and at farmers.gov/urban and the new Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture website.
The advisory committee and county committees are part of a broad USDA investment in urban agriculture. Other efforts include:
- Grants that target areas of food access, education, business, and start-up costs for new farmers, and development of policies related to zoning and other needs of urban production.
- Cooperative agreements that develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans.
- Investing $260,000 for risk management training and crop insurance education for historically underserved and urban producers through partnerships between USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) and the University of Maryland, University of Connecticut, and Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems.
- Providing technical and financial assistance through conservation programs offered by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
- Organizing 11 Farm Service Agency (FSA) urban and suburban county committees. FSA will organize additional committees.
Subscribe to eNewsletter
