New Orleans, Louisiana,  August 3rd, 2023 –

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) selected SPROUT as one of the key organizations to support its broad effort in urban agriculture, including efforts here in New Orleans. SPROUT and other organizations are supporting new Urban Service Centers and urban county committees, both key to delivering programs to urban producers. SPROUT will conduct outreach, education, and technical assistance to establish a customer base for new Urban Service Centers. These local partners will raise awareness of USDA programs and resources available and help urban producers enroll, increasing supply chain resiliency in local food systems by improving urban farms' sustainability and long-term viability. Additionally, the partnership will help establish a Community Microgrant Fund. 

“Providing urban producers with the same level of support as all farmers and ranchers is key to equitable USDA assistance,” said FSA State Executive Director Ronald Guidry, “We look forward to welcoming producers in Louisiana to our new Urban Service Centers and to serve on Urban County Committees.”

Marguerite Green, SPROUT’s Executive Director, goes on to explain, “What we are most excited about was the USDA’s allowance for creativity in this project. We know New Orleans farmers need land access and access to capital. With partners, we will get $500,000 of this funding directly to the farmers in our community.” 

The program will unite forty community partners to administer the microgrant funding, including The Crescent City Farmer’s Market, NewCorp, Sông CDC, Familia Unidas En Acción, and Recirculating Farms.

“New Orleans farmers have been feeding our city through pandemics, storms, and climate change. These farmers know adversity. We are so excited for this incredible support from the FSA to the next generation of Urban Agriculture, but also for the ability to extend that same support to our community cornerstones who have been working so long and hard in New Orleans.” said Terence Jackson, SPROUT’s Microgrant Fund Manager. 

The new Urban Service Center in New Orleans will be staffed by USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) employees and will offer farm loan, conservation, disaster assistance, and risk management programs. FSA and NRCS work with agricultural producers through a network of more than 2,300 Service Centers nationwide, and the new Urban Service Centers will strengthen services to urban agricultural producers. 

The new USDA Urban Service Center is also home to an urban county committee, which helps with the local administration of FSA programs.

“Every producer deserves USDA support in their own community, whether that community is urban or rural,” Said Richard Kacir, NRCS State Conservationist in Louisiana, “We are working diligently to understand the needs of urban producers and scale our programs to serve this important community of farmers .”   
To learn more about USDA’s Urban Service Centers, download our fact sheet or visit our Urban Service Center webpage.  To learn more about county committees, visit farmers.gov/urban for more information on programs and services for urban producers.

Farmers and gardeners in New Orleans can visit sproutnola.org/fsanola to learn more about the Microgrant Fund and Outreach Partnership. On August 10th, we will hold a community listening session for the newly unveiled Urban Service Center and disseminate information for the Urban Microgrant fund. This meeting will be held at 10 am at 2520 Bayou Road in New Orleans.