Urban Agriculture

Local Food Systems

American Community Gardening Association

Focused on strengthening communities through community gardening, the American Community Gardening Association works to expand state and regional community gardening networks, develop resources and research in support of community gardening, and conduct educational programs. The Association provides numerous resources, including publications, information about funding opportunities, and useful links. Read more about American Community Gardening Association...

Community Food Security Coalition

The Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC) is a North American nonprofit that strives to provide communities with better access to affordable and healthy food by improving local and regional food systems. Consisting of over 300 member organizations, their mission is to help strengthen a community's ability to maintain an entire food system from growing to selling that incorporates the principles of justice, democracy, and sustainability. Read more about Community Food Security Coalition...

Fair Food Network

Based in Michigan, the Fair Food Network works to improve justice and sustainability in how food is regulated, grown, accessed, understood and funded. For example, in Detroit, they've implemented the Double Up Food Bucks project, which matches every $2 spent on fresh food by Food Stamp recipients at farmer's markets with $2 of Food Buck tokens, thus incentivizing healthier food choices while supporting local farmers. FFN also provides grants and technical assistance to food enterprises, entrepreneurs and communities as part of Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development. Read more about Fair Food Network...

Farm To People

Farm To People is an online farm stand for buying food directly from small, sustainable farmers and craft producers around the United States with the goal of strengthening the link between food, health, environment, and people. This website provides a diversity of avenues for small farmers to reach consumers and offers a directory based on specialty so that eaters can simplify their search for environmentally and socially sustainable food.  

Read more about Farm To People...

Food First: Institute for Food and Development Policy

The Institute for Food and Development Policy (aka Food First) is an Oakland-based think tank that focuses on issues of ending global hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation by utilizing research, analysis and advocacy to help develop democratically controlled, sustainable local food systems. Read more about Food First: Institute for Food and Development Policy...

Grace Communications Foundation

GRACE Communications Foundation works to increase public awareness of environmental and public health issues created by our current food, water and energy systems, and to promote a more sustainable future.  Its website includes information on a range of food and agriculture topics, including local food systems, as well as practical toolkits and video and multi-media resources to educate people on these topic Read more about Grace Communications Foundation...

Incredible Edible

Begun as a community garden movement in the town of Todmorden in northern England, Incredible Edible is now a worldwide umbrella network supporting better access to locally-sourced, sustainable agriculture. Its members are fully independent organizations that operate in different directions, but share a common goal of improving public access to healthy local food. Read more about Incredible Edible...

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture)

Launched in 2009, the USDA's Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food program is an effort to improve local and regional food systems and create economic development in low-income communities by supporting small to mid-sized farms. In September 2009, the initiative awarded $4.8 million in grants through the Community Food Project's Competitive Grant Program and an additional $4.5 million through the Farmers Market Promotion Program. Read more about Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture)...

New Agrarian Center

The New Agrarian Center (NAC) was formed in 2000 with the mission of growing a sustainable local food system in Northeast Ohio. The NAC began its work with the initiation of the George Jones Farm and Nature Preserve in Oberlin, Ohio. Earned income from farm production exceeded $70,000 in 2008. In partnership with Ohio State Extension, the New Agrarian Center has developed the City Fresh initiative. Read more about New Agrarian Center...

Slow Food USA

With more than 200 chapters across the county, Slow Food USA is an organization that focuses on promoting local, equitable and sustainable food production and engaging in outreach, such as through children and school and other public programs, to help connect communities to these food systems. Read more about Slow Food USA...

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)

Supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA) and operated under cooperative agreements with the University of Maryland and the University of Vermont, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program provides grants and outreach to promote sustainable innovation in American agriculture. Since 1988, SARE has provided grants for more than 2500 projects, including support for urban agricultural farms, such as $6,000 to the Resource Center City Farm in Chicago, IL, $6000 to New Roots Urban Farm in St. Read more about Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)...

The Food Trust

The Food Trust partners with neighborhoods, schools, grocers, farmers and policymakers to improve access to and affordability of healthy food for low-income communities. They fund various school-based and community-based programs, including operating more than 30 farmers markets in the Philadelphia region, helping finance 83 supermarket projects in 34 Pennsylvania counties, and working extensively to create a national-scale version of the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative. Read more about The Food Trust...

W. K. Kellogg Foundation: Food & Community Program

Started in 2000, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's Food & Community Program has, to date, funded more than 75 food projects - efforts to create community-based food systems that support local, healthy, and sustainably grown food. Working to transform the nation's food system, the Program provides assistance to both rural and urban food networks as it strives to increase accessibility to Good Food - food that is nutritional, sustainable, fair and affordable. Read more about W. K. Kellogg Foundation: Food & Community Program...

Local Food Systems

American Community Gardening Association

Focused on strengthening communities through community gardening, the American Community Gardening Association works to expand state and regional community gardening networks, develop resources and research in support of community gardening, and conduct educational programs. The Association provides numerous resources, including publications, information about funding opportunities, and useful links. Read more about American Community Gardening Association...

Community Food Security Coalition

The Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC) is a North American nonprofit that strives to provide communities with better access to affordable and healthy food by improving local and regional food systems. Consisting of over 300 member organizations, their mission is to help strengthen a community's ability to maintain an entire food system from growing to selling that incorporates the principles of justice, democracy, and sustainability. Read more about Community Food Security Coalition...

Fair Food Network

Based in Michigan, the Fair Food Network works to improve justice and sustainability in how food is regulated, grown, accessed, understood and funded. For example, in Detroit, they've implemented the Double Up Food Bucks project, which matches every $2 spent on fresh food by Food Stamp recipients at farmer's markets with $2 of Food Buck tokens, thus incentivizing healthier food choices while supporting local farmers. FFN also provides grants and technical assistance to food enterprises, entrepreneurs and communities as part of Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development. Read more about Fair Food Network...

Farm To People

Farm To People is an online farm stand for buying food directly from small, sustainable farmers and craft producers around the United States with the goal of strengthening the link between food, health, environment, and people. This website provides a diversity of avenues for small farmers to reach consumers and offers a directory based on specialty so that eaters can simplify their search for environmentally and socially sustainable food.  

Read more about Farm To People...

Food First: Institute for Food and Development Policy

The Institute for Food and Development Policy (aka Food First) is an Oakland-based think tank that focuses on issues of ending global hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation by utilizing research, analysis and advocacy to help develop democratically controlled, sustainable local food systems. Read more about Food First: Institute for Food and Development Policy...

Grace Communications Foundation

GRACE Communications Foundation works to increase public awareness of environmental and public health issues created by our current food, water and energy systems, and to promote a more sustainable future.  Its website includes information on a range of food and agriculture topics, including local food systems, as well as practical toolkits and video and multi-media resources to educate people on these topic Read more about Grace Communications Foundation...

Incredible Edible

Begun as a community garden movement in the town of Todmorden in northern England, Incredible Edible is now a worldwide umbrella network supporting better access to locally-sourced, sustainable agriculture. Its members are fully independent organizations that operate in different directions, but share a common goal of improving public access to healthy local food. Read more about Incredible Edible...

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture)

Launched in 2009, the USDA's Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food program is an effort to improve local and regional food systems and create economic development in low-income communities by supporting small to mid-sized farms. In September 2009, the initiative awarded $4.8 million in grants through the Community Food Project's Competitive Grant Program and an additional $4.5 million through the Farmers Market Promotion Program. Read more about Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture)...

New Agrarian Center

The New Agrarian Center (NAC) was formed in 2000 with the mission of growing a sustainable local food system in Northeast Ohio. The NAC began its work with the initiation of the George Jones Farm and Nature Preserve in Oberlin, Ohio. Earned income from farm production exceeded $70,000 in 2008. In partnership with Ohio State Extension, the New Agrarian Center has developed the City Fresh initiative. Read more about New Agrarian Center...

Slow Food USA

With more than 200 chapters across the county, Slow Food USA is an organization that focuses on promoting local, equitable and sustainable food production and engaging in outreach, such as through children and school and other public programs, to help connect communities to these food systems. Read more about Slow Food USA...

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)

Supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA) and operated under cooperative agreements with the University of Maryland and the University of Vermont, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program provides grants and outreach to promote sustainable innovation in American agriculture. Since 1988, SARE has provided grants for more than 2500 projects, including support for urban agricultural farms, such as $6,000 to the Resource Center City Farm in Chicago, IL, $6000 to New Roots Urban Farm in St. Read more about Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)...

The Food Trust

The Food Trust partners with neighborhoods, schools, grocers, farmers and policymakers to improve access to and affordability of healthy food for low-income communities. They fund various school-based and community-based programs, including operating more than 30 farmers markets in the Philadelphia region, helping finance 83 supermarket projects in 34 Pennsylvania counties, and working extensively to create a national-scale version of the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative. Read more about The Food Trust...

W. K. Kellogg Foundation: Food & Community Program

Started in 2000, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's Food & Community Program has, to date, funded more than 75 food projects - efforts to create community-based food systems that support local, healthy, and sustainably grown food. Working to transform the nation's food system, the Program provides assistance to both rural and urban food networks as it strives to increase accessibility to Good Food - food that is nutritional, sustainable, fair and affordable. Read more about W. K. Kellogg Foundation: Food & Community Program...