This bill strengthens the Department of Agriculture's Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production by expanding its mission and providing new funding. The legislation extends support for urban farming and controlled-environment agriculture like hydroponics through competitive grants to nonprofits, local governments, tribal organizations, schools, and agricultural businesses, with priority given to projects that improve food access in underserved areas. The bill also authorizes the office to provide technical assistance to farmers on business incorporation, zoning, and regulatory navigation, and directs the USDA to collect better data on urban and innovative farming operations. Funding includes $15 million annually from the Commodity Credit Corporation starting in fiscal year 2026, plus an additional authorization of $50 million per year from 2026 through 2030 for grants and programs. The legislation extends the advisory committee overseeing these efforts through September 30, 2030, and also expands agricultural research funding to include modern controlled-environment farming technologies.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.