Elissa Slotkin Instagram – When I visited some Detroit urban farmers in March, I knew we needed to connect the farmers at the local level with U.S. Department of Agriculture and Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development – MDARD. And there was no better time to do so than in advance of the House Ag Committee markup of the Farm Bill this week.
Thanks to MDARD Director Tim Boring for inviting Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small to join us in the city yesterday. Our tour and roundtable at the Oakland Avenue Urban Farm highlighted the needs and frustrations from those who are actually moving soil.
We covered some important ground, including water access for urban farms, workforce development, and how we can overcome sustainability barriers with things like technical assistance for navigating cumbersome grant processes.
The urban ag community is in good hands in Detroit, but it’s on us at the state and federal levels to ensure they can access programs and funding, while also going the extra mile to help connect farmers with these resources.
America must always be able to feed ourselves by ourselves, and urban farming is an important piece of that puzzle. That’s why securing continued funding for our urban farmers will be a top priority for me later this week during markup. | Posted on 21/May/2024 20:40:38
