USDA Selects Pasa Sustainable Agriculture to Support Urban Agriculture Efforts in Philadelphia

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, August 10, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) selected Pasa Sustainable Agriculture as one of the key organizations to support its broad effort in urban agriculture, including efforts in Philadelphia. Pasa Sustainable Agriculture and other organizations are supporting new Urban Service Centers and urban county committees, both key to delivering programs to urban producers.

Specifically, Pasa Sustainable Agriculture 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, which will support increased supply chain resiliency in local food systems by improving the sustainability and long-term viability of urban farms.

“Through the production of fresh, healthy, culturally appropriate food, urban farms are vital to our food system. Urban farms also serve as important job training sites for the next generation of growers, provide stormwater infiltration for the cities they serve, cool entire neighborhoods from the urban heat island effect, sequester carbon for us all, create spaces where kids can breathe easier and where the supply chain is a walk around the block,” said Hannah Smith-Brubaker, Pasa Sustainable Agriculture Executive Director, “Through the USDA FSA cooperative agreement, we look forward to connecting a new and important farmer customer base to these federal services and supports.”

Pasa Sustainable Agriculture is one of 17 organizations selected for this effort.

Pasa Sustainable Agriculture serves nearly 20,000 farmers throughout the mid-Atlantic and northeast US and provides, farmer training & development, farm-based research, farmer technical assistance & outreach, food systems equity & resilience, sustainable agriculture policy, an annual conference and year-round educational events.

Supporting USDA Investments

Pasa Sustainable Agriculture will help support USDA's newly announced Urban Service Center as well as the urban county committee in Philadelphia.

The new Urban Service Center in Philadelphia 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 works 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.

“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 Heidi Secord, “We look forward to welcoming producers in Pennsylvania to our new Urban Service Centers and to serve on Urban County Committees.” 

“Every producer deserves USDA support in their own community, whether that community is urban or rural,” Said Denise Coleman, NRCS State Conservationist in Pennsylvania, “We encourage people in urban communities to connect with us at our new Urban Service Centers.”   

To learn more about Urban Service Centers, download our fact sheet or visit our Urban Service Center webpage. To learn more about county committees, visit our County Committees webpage. Visit farmers.gov/urban for more information on programs and services for urban producers.