Twin Cities Metro Growers Network to Host Session on Formation of USDA FSA Urban Ag County Committee

SAINT PAUL, MN, May 10, 2021 —The Twin Cities Metro Growers Network is hosting a webinar with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Minnesota on May 26. Topics will include an overview of USDA programs that align with urban and suburban agriculture and the formation of the FSA County Committee for Urban Agriculture. Attendees will gain a better understanding of the pilot Suburban/Urban Ag County Committee (COC) in Minneapolis-St. Paul, including how to participate through nominating COC candidates and voting in the election. The Twin Cities Metro Growers Network is a partnership between University of Minnesota Extension and the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.  

Webinar for Urban and Suburban Growers
Wednesday, May 26, 1:30 . to 3:00 p.m. (CDT)

Register for the May 26th webinar at: Register Here

Persons with disabilities who require accommodations to participate in this meeting should contact Daniel Mahoney at (651) 602-7710, or Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339, and daniel.mahoney@usda.gov by May 24, 2021.

USDA selected Minneapolis-St.Paul and six other locations for urban agriculture county committees. The urban and suburban county committees will work to encourage and promote urban, indoor and other emerging agricultural production practices. Additionally, the new county committees may address areas such as food access, community engagement, support of local activities to promote, and encourage community compost and food waste reduction. They also make determinations, listen to appeals and make decisions, and conduct outreach to urban and suburban farms and farmers for both FSA and NRCS.

FSA will begin accepting nominations for urban and suburban county committee members in June 2021. Urban farmers who participate or cooperate in an FSA program in the county selected may either be nominated or may nominate themselves or others as a candidate. Organizations, including those representing beginning, women, and minority producers, also may nominate candidates.

To be considered, a producer must sign an FSA-669A nomination form. The form and other information about FSA county committee elections are available at fsa.usda.gov/elections or farmers.gov/urban.

All nomination forms for the urban and suburban county committees must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by August 2, 2021. Election ballots will be mailed to eligible voters beginning November 1, 2021.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.