[Durham INC] County Cooperative Extension Awarded $167K USDA Urban Agriculture and Innovation Production Grant

[Jones, Henry R.]

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NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release                                          Date: 06/17/22
Contact: Public Information Office                      Phone: (919) 560-0000/Fax: (919) 560-0020
E-mail: publicinformationoffice at dconc.gov<mailto:publicinformationoffice at dconc.gov>

County Cooperative Extension Awarded $167K USDA Urban Agriculture and Innovation Production Grant

Durham, N.C. - The Durham County Cooperative Extension was recently awarded a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Urban Agriculture and Innovation Production (UAIP) planning grant<https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2022/06/03/usda-advances-food-system-transformation-43-million-urban> totaling $167,015 to conduct a feasibility study of  "Durham County Farm Campus."

This planning project aims to support a more resilient food system that systemically addresses the root causes of food insecurity by:


  *   launching the next generation of farmers through increased access to land, infrastructure, and markets for new and beginning farmers, and
  *   fostering racial equity and development of generational wealth by centering Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) priorities in design and development.

This grant will fund a feasibility study to examine partnerships, priorities, and phasing of a Durham County Farm Campus, as well as support an in-depth study of how the Farm Campus can best meet community needs and goals. The project will explore development of four main features of the proposed Farm Campus design:

  1.  An incubator farm to train the next generation of sustainable urban farmers that will focus on outreach to the BIPOC community.


  1.  A food hub with cold storage and aggregation space to facilitate aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and marketing of locally produced food (FAO, 2020<https://doi.org/10.4060/cb1020en>).


  1.  A value-added production facility to enable producers, entrepreneurs, and community members to development skills in value added agricultural production (FAO, 2020<https://doi.org/10.4060/cb1020en>).


  1.  A community-led space with an outdoor environment that supports community members in reconnecting to the land (e.g., a healing garden with a therapeutic aspect) and supports identified groups such as veterans, formerly incarcerated individuals, and refugees.

Currently, there is no similar initiative in Durham County to support new and beginning farmer access to land and to support racial equity in farming. The grant project will explore many possible next steps for a Durham County Farm Campus, including the possibility of finding and purchasing accessible land for an incubator farm site.  An incubator farm with no-cost resources, education, and an accessible location significantly breaks down barriers to farming for all, helping attract young aspiring farmers and launch them on their way to developing wealth for themselves and future generations. In turn, a strong local food system supports food security efforts by creating income for producers, generating other employment opportunities, and building a reliable food supply (FAO, 2020<https://doi.org/10.4060/cb1020en>).

According to Donna Rewalt, County Extension Director, "The idea of a 'farm campus' is one that has long been discussed in Durham County. It is exciting that Cooperative Extension can be a part of a deeper exploration with community stakeholders about what is possible to increase access to farming in our growing urban environment in a way that priorities the needs and interests of BIPOC communities and new and emerging farmers who may have less access to land and equipment."

For more information about this grant and Food Security in Durham County<https://durham.ces.ncsu.edu/durham-county-food-security/>, contact Mary Oxendine, Durham County Food Security Coordinator, at (919) 560-9228 or moxendine at dconc.gov<mailto:moxendine at dconc.gov>.

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