USDA Sets Virtual Meeting on Urban Agriculture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture encourages urban producers, innovative producers and other stakeholders to submit comments for and virtually attend the fifth public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production on April 18.
“The Federal Advisory Committee is a valuable source of on the ground information and recommendations for USDA,” said Terry Cosby, chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, which houses USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. “I encourage members of the public to attend and submit comments for the Committee to help us better serve urban and innovative producers and their communities.”
The Committee is part of USDA’s efforts to support urban and innovative agriculture, creating a network for feedback. Members include agricultural producers and representatives from the areas of higher education or extension programs, non-profits, business and economic development, supply chains and financing. The committee last met in February 2023.
Topics for the upcoming meeting will include addressing public comments and discussing the following recommended topics:
- A new public/online database for grant and funding programs
- Farm Service Agency loan programs
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- Food loss and waste; and
- Food labeling.
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.
The virtual meeting runs from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern on April 18. To attend virtually, register by April 18 on the committee’s webpage. To submit comments, send by 11:59 p.m. ET on May 2 through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Docket NRCS-2023-0006.
For special accommodations, contact Markus Holliday.
Additional details are available in the Federal Register notice.
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