USDA Giving Urban Agriculture a Boost

As Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has said many times, "Farming/agriculture is not necessarily the exclusive element of rural, it is also now very heavily engaged in urban communities across the United States."

And he would like to see it grow in urban areas, so it's part of USDA's framework for transforming the US agricultural system.

"We're going to increase our efforts in urban agriculture.  These are efforts to increase urban agriculture and innovation and food production and composting."

USDA recently announced about $43 million to do some of that work, this includes supporting new growing and selling techniques for urban producers and setting up six new farmer elected county committees in urban areas to help deliver USDA programs in urban settings. All of this part of a larger goal, Vilsack noted.

"More new and better markets generating better income for producers and better choices and prices for consumers."

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