'Growing for Chicago' Wins Federal Grant to Explore Urban Agriculture Innovations

Growing for Chicago will use the $1 million Conservation Innovation Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to examine a "cohort-based" model for urban agriculture.

1 minute read

September 15, 2016, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell

The 1.5-acre City Farm, owned by the city of Chicago, as pictured in 2008. | Linda / Flickr

"The City of Chicago has been awarded a $1 million federal grant to explore urban farming as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program," reports Mathew Messner.

Chicago's grant is the latest in a string of grant awards from CIG. "In 2016 alone, the program has granted $26.6 million to 45 projects across the country," but usually with a more "typical" agricultural application, explains Messner.

Growing for Chicago, as the city's winning program is called, "will help establish more land trusts and cooperative arrangements for urban farming while providing improved recruitment and training for historically under-served communities." In addition to its primary missions, Growing for Chicago "will help establish more land trusts and cooperative arrangements for urban farming while providing improved recruitment and training for historically under-served communities."

FULL STORY: USDA awards Chicago $1 million urban agriculture grant

Tuesday, September 13, 2016 in The Architect's Newspaper

Environment Infrastructure Land Use Illinois Chicago. Growing for Chicago Conservation Innovation Grant View More

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