Connecting people and agriculture is a critical need. We face challenges in feeding our growing population, and most Americans lack of exposure to agriculture and food production. With ever more people living in urban areas, understanding agriculture through an urban lens can provide both a connection and an educational opportunity. Since the U.S. Botanic Garden’s creation 200 years ago, one of the Garden’s primary functions has been growing and demonstrating plants to tell the story of agriculture and economic plants to the public.
Using our own urban setting and building on our long history of growing plants and educating people about them, the USBG is:
- Working to promote science and environmental learning through sustainable agriculture in urban settings;
- Supporting health and well-being in urban communities by increasing food access through local food production;
- Fostering community engagement through meaningful connections with food and agriculture.
By building a network of organizations helping with food production and education across the country, the Garden is strengthening people’s capacity to transform their lives, institutions, and communities through engagement in urban agriculture.
Read below to learn more about the U.S. Botanic Garden’s urban agriculture work.
Urban Agriculture Resilience Program 2024
The United States Botanic Garden (USBG) and American Public Gardens Association (Association) are awarding support to 26 public gardens and their community partners engaging in urban agriculture, food-growing, and related education work. The 26 awards total $445,600 in support for public garden partnerships across the United States that will foster public engagement and education in urban food growing and build capacity in urban agriculture programs. The Urban Agriculture Resilience Program aims to strengthen collaborations, promote resilience, and gather best practices from across the U.S.
The funds will help programs in 18 states and Washington, D.C. integrate urban food growing and urban agriculture education while addressing food security challenges in their communities. The program seeks to leverage the strength of public gardens working with partners in their communities, ranging from schools, universities, and urban farms to food pantries, community gardens, local government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. This year, the program especially sought to support collaborations involving smaller public gardens, as well as organizations demonstrating a strong commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.
Over the UARP’s previous four years, the program has awarded $1.57 million to 80 collaborations in 30 states and D.C. These programs have grown and shared over 690,000 pounds of produce, distributed more than 260,000 seedlings, and provided more than 46,000 hours of urban agriculture training to students, interns, and trainees.
“The collaborations supported through this year’s Urban Agriculture Resilience Program demonstrate many creative ways that urban agriculture can connect people and plants through food,” said Dr. Susan Pell, USBG executive director. “We are thrilled to embark on a fifth year of supporting such vital urban food-growing programs across the country and to expand the existing Urban Agriculture Resilience Program community with these 26 new projects.”
The Urban Agriculture Resilience Program began in 2020 as a way for the USBG and the Association to support and expand urban agriculture and food-growing programs at public gardens. Learn more about previous awardees at www.USBG.gov/UrbanAg.
2024 Urban Agriculture Resilience Program Awardees:
Alabama
- Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, in collaboration with the City of Birmingham Park and Recreation Department
Alaska
- Georgeson Botanical Garden, in collaboration with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Office of Sustainability; UAF AFES Vegetable Variety Trials; Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District; and Calypso Farm and Ecology Center
Arkansas
- Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, in collaboration with Seeds that Feed
California
- Healthy Day Partners in collaboration with San Diego Botanic Garden
Colorado
- The Gardens on Spring Creek in collaboration with First People’s Community Center
- The Urban Farm in collaboration with Denver Public Youth Services
District of Columbia
- Covenant House Greater Washington, in collaboration with OurFarm DC; Run Hope Work; and THEARC Farm–Building Bridges Across the River
Florida
- Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, in collaboration with Operation Eco Vets and Easterseals Southwest Florida
Georgia
- Historic Westside Gardens, in collaboration with Green Team of English Avenue
- Smith-Gilbert Gardens, in collaboration with Our Giving Garden
Idaho
- Idaho Botanical Garden, in collaboration with City of Good
Illinois
- Growing Healthy Veterans, in collaboration with Cool Learning Experience and Roberti Community House
Maryland
- Charles Koiner Center for Urban Farming, in collaboration with Montgomery County Public Schools, Division of Sustainability and Compliance
Michigan
- Michigan State University Extension, in collaboration with Keep Growing Detroit and Peace Tree Parks
North Carolina
- Raleigh City Farm, in collaboration with Salvation Army of Wake County Red Shield Club of Raleigh
New York
- Buffalo Botanical Gardens, in collaboration with Gerard Place
- Ithaca Children's Garden, in collaboration with The Learning Farm and Children’s Reading Connection
- Randall's Island Park Alliance, in collaboration with LSA Family Health Service
Oregon
- Growing Gardens, in collaboration with Providence Hospital Garden of Giving and Community Teaching Kitchen
- Zenger Farm, in collaboration with David Douglas School District
Pennsylvania
- Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, in collaboration with Just Harvest
- Wyck Association, in collaboration with People’s Kitchen Philadelphia
Tennessee
- Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, in collaboration with Little Chefs, Big Change and Shora Foundation
Texas
- Botanical Research Institute of Texas, in collaboration with Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County
- Clark Gardens, in collaboration with Let’s Grow Crazy
Wisconsin
- Allen Centennial Garden, in collaboration with Rooted WI and REAP Food Group
Learn about the 2020 Urban Agriculture Resilience Program, the 2021 Program, the 2022 Program, and the 2023 Capstone Program >
See the all awardees of Urban Agriculture Resilience Program 2020 to present:
Training Veterans in Urban Farming as a Career
Greenhouse Manual and Trainings for Educators
Online Food and Agriculture Programs
