Why I'm Urging Senator Ossoff to Champion Urban Agriculture at the Federal Level

As Georgia communities continue to innovate in food access, sustainability, and small-scale farming, it's time for our federal policies to catch up. This week, I submitted a programmatic request to Senator Jon Ossoff's office for Fiscal Year 2026, urging the USDA to elevate its Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production to a standalone division. While urban agriculture is currently tucked within the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), its potential goes far beyond conservation. Our farms—especially those in underserved neighborhoods—deserve dedicated support that recognizes their role in feeding families, creating jobs, and transforming communities. Below is the full cover letter I submitted, advocating for this change. -

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Karen Gordon
kgordon [at] growingaugusta.org
+1 (762) 233-5299
March 29, 2025

Office of U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff
Attn: Appropriations Team
455 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Appropriations [at] ossoff.senate.gov

Dear Senator Ossoff and Appropriations Team,

I am writing to respectfully submit a programmatic request for Fiscal Year 2026, encouraging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to elevate its Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production to a standalone division within the agency.

As a Georgia-based advocate for community-driven agriculture and food systems, I’ve witnessed firsthand how urban farms and small-scale producers are transforming neighborhoods through food access, youth engagement, economic development, and environmental stewardship. However, many of these efforts remain stunted due to misalignment within USDA’s current framework—where urban agriculture is housed under the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency primarily designed to serve rural landowners through a conservation lens.

Urban agriculture requires a different kind of support—one rooted in community building, entrepreneurial growth, and flexible land use. I believe this request will allow USDA to better serve diverse communities, especially in cities and underserved areas, while aligning federal priorities with the lived realities of urban farmers and food producers across Georgia and the nation.

Attached is the full programmatic request, including proposed report language and justification. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this further and would be honored to provide additional insight into the role urban agriculture is playing in shaping healthier, more equitable communities here in Georgia.

Thank you for your consideration and for your ongoing commitment to responsive, community-informed policymaking.

Sincerely,
Karen Gordon

Growing Augusta: Arts, Agriculture, & Agency