Local students helped prep the gardens at The Farm at Wyncote Academy in Montgomery County as state officials gathered to announce new funding for urban agriculture programs across the state.
On Monday, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced 21 Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grants totaling $502,140 to projects that help remedy challenges urban farmers face in producing fresh, local food in city neighborhoods throughout the Commonwealth.
“Seeing a school farm like Wyncote Academy’s is seeing the power agriculture has to change lives,” Redding said. “Getting fresh, healthy food into urban neighborhoods, using small plots of land to generate income, bridge differences, and introduce teens from tough circumstances to career opportunities and healthier futures are just a few ways Urban Ag grants are changing Pennsylvania cities for the better.”
Redding made the announcement after touring The Farm at Wyncote Academy, where a grant will fund a new fruit tree orchard, expanding outdoor, hands-on science and learning opportunities for at-risk students.
Organizations serving Philadelphia also received grants in an effort to increase access to fresh food in underserved areas, as well as address racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities.
Local recipients
Fair Amount Food Forest, an educational garden in Fairmount Park, plans to use its grant money for a new water service in Strawberry Mansion, as well as two walk-in coolers for a new local farmers market and expanded food pantry.
Spring Garden Community Development Corporation will provide food for city food cupboards for local families in need through a community garden in partnership with Garden in the City Harvest program. Waring Elementary School families will benefit directly from efforts funded by the Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grants.
Other recipients include Food Moxie (for experiential learning in gardening, farming, nutrition, and culinary arts); The Tachs Farm (to install a greenhouse and training space on their urban farm); and Urban Creators (to enhance infrastructure and increase fruit production through improved care and growing conditions).
Weavers Way Co-op, located in Northwest Philly, plans to install caterpillar tunnels that will serve as growing and educational spaces, allowing students, urban agricultural producers, and the public to learn about using innovative technologies to extend the growing season.
Finally, First Stop Recovery in Kensington plans to use its grant money to fund maintenance and improvements to its recovery garden, built and maintained by residents in recovery, which serves as a vital therapeutic tool and symbol of recovery.
Boosting fresh food access
Pennsylvania has invested more than $3.2 million in urban agriculture through the program since 2019. In total, 160 projects in cities across the state are expanding fresh food access in locations often served by a single convenience store, officials say.
Funded projects have included purchases such as greenhouses, off-grid energy and water systems, cold storage, and tools to expand the reach of organizations that feed economic, community, and personal growth through agriculture.
