Recent Blog Posts
In this panel discussion on December 6 at 12 p.m., hear from local leaders in affordable housing in Central Ohio: Carlie Boos, Executive Director of the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio (AHACO); Lark Mallory, the founder of Mallory Economic Development Advisors, LLC; Jason Reece, Vice Provost for Urban Research & Community Engagement at The Ohio State University; and Amy Riegel, Executive Director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO). Through the panelists' varied perspectives, participants will learn about the challenges and opportunities for housing in the region. Learn more and register for the webinar.
Sourced from Center for Regional & Urban Analysis (CURA)
Urban agriculture was a central theme at the National Agricultural Marketing Summit November 13-15. USDA’s new urban service centers were among the key projects highlighted during a Thursday morning opening plenary, “Urban Agriculture: A Growing Movement.”
“USDA invested a significant amount of money in this last administration trying to go towards more resilience in the food system and transformation, and part of that effort included establishing 17 new urban service centers,” said Leslie Glover, USDA Office of Urban Agriculture program manager. Learn more.
Sourced from FarmWeek Now.com
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The Urban Agriculture Magazine is about to enter its 25th year. With 41 issues published since 2000, RUAF is conducting a short survey to learn more about our readers, how you have used the magazine to date, and your views on plans for the future.
The survey should only take 10 minutes to complete, and your responses will help shape Urban Agriculture Magazine for the next quarter of a century. Access the survey here - Urban Agriculture Magazine survey
You can download all 41 past issues here: Resources - RUAF Urban Agriculture and Food Systems
RUAF is an international organisation (based in the UK) that aims to accelerate food systems transformation for greater environmental, social, and economic sustainability, resilience, and equity in cities and city regions around the world.
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Outside of our rural communities, 4-H programming continues to thrive in our urban centers. In addition to helping youth understand the importance of STEM, healthy living, and career readiness education, 4-H professionals in Ohio’s urban counties are ensuring that youth know about the integral role the agriculture industry plays in our lives. Read more.
Sourced from Ohio 4-H Youth Development
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As Congress reconvenes, a coalition of advocates have published a policy brief calling on representatives to provide more support for urban agriculture through a new iteration of the Farm Bill, which has been in a state of limbo since expiring in September 2023. First established by the Farm Bill’s passage in 2018, the office wasn’t funded until 2020 and, even then, the funding was at only 20% of its authorized level. By providing more support, the nation could reap even more of urban agriculture’s undeniable social and economic benefits, the brief’s authors said. Read more.
From Hagan Capnerhurst (Michigan Food and Farming Systems), Hannah Quigley (National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition), and Jason K. Hawes (U of Wyoming)
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The Ohio State University Extension (Cuyahoga County) seeks an educator to work collaboratively with county, area, and state teams of OSU professionals and with local agency leaders and volunteers. The educator will be responsible for a broad range of basic to complex duties that could include but are not limited to: Providing guidance and/or leadership for Agriculture and Natural Resources and Community Development, targeted to local and area needs, focusing on urban audiences. Utilize appropriate methods, both formal and informal, of community assessment to identify educational needs and opportunities of local community. Design, implement and teach educational programming, based on these needs, to groups and individuals comprised of adults and/or youth. May also convene and facilitate community coalitions focused on those needs. The Educator may be required to replicate and adhere to existing programs that meet the needs of their local community. The educator will develop promotional material, work with and/or lead committees and volunteers, and establish and maintain partnerships within the community that support the achievement of the program goals. The educator evaluates educational programs and dissemination methods, as well as, utilizes existing evaluation instruments to evaluate the teaching effectiveness, program quality and results of local programs. Participate in discussions with county representatives concerning program funding and may be responsible for the management of the county budget. May also be responsible for securing external funds to support local programming. Participate as a member of county, multi-county, and/or state Extension teams to further the overall mission, vision and values of both Ohio State University Extension and Agriculture and Natural Resources and Community Development.
The educator will focus on urban agriculture operations, implementing trainings, advancing resource utilization, and providing general support to local growers and agribusiness owners. This educator’s work will be a collaborative effort with the Farm Service Agency's Cleveland Urban County Committee and USDA's Urban Service Center, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and other community-based organizations. The educator will focus on improving the sustainability and long-term viability of urban agriculture operations, will facilitate outreach and engagement, online resource access, research and technical assistance, and urban stakeholder data and mapping.
This educator position is located in Cleveland and reports to Ohio State's statewide Urban Agriculture Specialist, with additional support and guidance from Cuyahoga County's Extension leader. This educator will pilot new programs, leverage existing resources, and support statewide urban ag team communications, events, networks, and other emerging developments. To boost and foster the connection to Ohio's urban agriculture community, this educator will help transfer knowledge gained in Cleveland to benefit Ohio's other metropolitan areas that reflects local contexts and priorities.
Learn more. Job # R111248
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Urban and innovative agriculture producers will be able to more easily participate in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs as a result of acreage reporting improvements. These improvements, implemented by USDA’s Farm Service Agency, provide more flexibility for reporting acreage on a smaller scale and identifying innovative planting practices like multi-level planting or vertical farming practices.
For more information CLICK HERE
Sourced from USDA
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The 2026 Urban Food Systems Symposium will be held September 14-17, 2026 in Kansas City, MO.
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“Equity in the Food System”
Wednesday, November 20, 2024 (new date!)
1-2:30 p.m. ET
During “Equity in the Food System” to November 20 you will hear from a couple Cooperators about their equity-focused work and then will have time for small and large group discussion.
Please register to attend the November 20 Learning Exchange.
The Upward Mobility Initiative team launched the Upward Mobility Data Dashboard.This tool provides comprehensive data for every county and over 480 cities across the United States, empowering community leaders to assess conditions, set priorities, and drive systemic change for upward mobility and racial equity. It allows users to easily visualize their community’s data, compare with peer cities and counties, and access additional resources. Explore the dashboard today and discover how it can help make a difference in your community. Explore the dashboard.
Sourced from Urban.org
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