VSU Small Farm Outreach Program Awarded Nearly $4 Million in Grants and Subawards
VSU-SFOP will help improve food access and security by empowering urban growers.
Ettrick, Va.— The Small Farm Outreach Program (SFOP), a part of Virginia Cooperative Extension administered by the Virginia State University College of Agriculture, is the recipient of nearly $4 million in grants and sub-awards to help battle food insecurity by bridging the gap between urban farmers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA).
USDA FSA awarded SFOP two grants—one national and one regional, respectively:
VSU-SFOP received nearly $3.25 million to develop a National Urban Agricultural Program for FSA as part of the National Urban Innovative Community-Based Grant. Starting July 2023, the 4-year pilot project will help urban growers develop the necessary knowledge and skills to access and use FSA and other USDA programs, tools and services successfully.
VSU-SFOP is partnering with Cornell University’s Small Farm Center and the USDA Farm Service Agency in a pilot project to develop a model National Urban Farmer Program that will establish evidence-based best practices that empower all states to establish their own regional or local urban farmer programs.
Until now, FSA programs targeted rural farmers without understanding the importance of urban farming or the challenges urban farmers face.
Now, the USDA recognizes and supports the key role urban farming plays as stated on its website, “… [urban agriculture] plays an important role in growing not only fresh, healthy food, often where grocery stores are scarce, but also providing jobs, responding to climate change, and beautifying neighborhoods.”
William Crutchfield, director of SFOP explained how empowering this program will be for urban farmers, “This is a tremendous step forward to help urban farmers. They can now receive a Farm Serial number which enables them to apply for FSA loans, buy crop insurance and accept EBT cards, and more.”
Together, through education and training efforts, VSU-SFOP and Cornell University will work with stakeholders to introduce FSA and Urban producers to local food systems. By improving urban growers’ knowledge about and their skills in accessing FSA programs, tools and services, urban farmers will be positioned better to become sustainable and to help alleviate the plights of those living in food deserts. By training FSA professionals about the unique challenges of urban farmers FSA staff can serve them better.
In developing this national initiative, VSU-SFOP will provide direction and support to the 17 Urban County Committees (UCOC) the FSA established across the nation; analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of FSA programs in the urban agriculture sector; and will provide national-policy recommendations and strategies to increase future participation in FSA programs.
Because food access and food security are essential to life itself, VSU-SFOP’s data-driven recommendations, when implemented, will help address these major issues, improve program access, foster community engagement, promote citizens’ well-being and bring hope to the area.
“We are elated,” said Crutchfield. “It is an honor to lead this national initiative that will help urban farmers and their communities thrive, and will establish a model for all states to follow.”
With one of the UCOCs that VSU-SFOP will be advising located in Richmond, Va., those in Virginia and Greater Richmond can rest assured that SFOP is still focused on serving the state and community.
“We are here for the community. We are here for you,” said Dr. Robert N. Corley III, interim dean/1890 Extension administrator of Virginia State University College of Agriculture and vice provost for Academic Affairs.
An Urban Agriculture Initiative co-award of $750,000 each was granted to both VSU and Virginia Tech to work in unison. Together these land-grant universities will assist FSA in educating urban growers in Virginia about FSA services that could benefit their operations.
VSU-SFOP educates and empowers small-scale, limited-resource, socially disadvantaged and military-veteran farmers and ranchers to own, operate and sustain farms and ranches independently. By providing agricultural training programs and providing outreach and learning opportunities about farm-management skills, production management, financial and risk management, marketing, USDA assistance programs and other topics, VSU-SFOP helps improve farm profitability and sustainability, and farmers’ quality of life.
Currently, SFOP provides educational programming throughout Virginia, and parts of North Carolina and Maryland.
“VSU College of Agriculture is proud of the transformational leadership SFOP provides under the direction of William Crutchfield,” said Corley. “SFOP has long been a leader in Virginia. Being tapped to lead a national initiative further proves that ‘GREATER Happens Here.’ With SFOP taking on a national role in Urban Agriculture, I am confident that even greater is yet to come.”
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