USCC Advocacy Win! Urban Ag Funding (including Compost Grants) restored!

Thanks to the advocacy of USCC and others, on Nov. 1 Congress passed a mini-omnibus spending bill that restored funding for The Office of Urban Agriculture and the grants it supports. The Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which included $8.5M for the Office of Urban Agriculture.

USCC and many other advocacy organizations reached out to their Congressional representatives, including Community Compost Grants. Thank you to the 287 people who reached out to your Congressional Office to urge restoration of the funding. The $50M which we and other organizations asked for was not in the bill, and we will continue to advocate for more funding for these programs.

The Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Practices, created in the 2018 Farm Bill, is at risk of being unfunded in this year’s federal appropriations office—putting in jeopardy programs such as the Composting and Food Waste Reduction Grants and Urban Agriculture Innovation Grants. These programs need to also be in the Farm Bill and funded to remain in place in future years.

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