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Cities Developing Urban Agriculture Codes

Urban agriculture has become increasingly popular in recent years as a way to deal with vacant properties, revitalize neighborhoods, and provide job skills and nutrition to local residents struggling with poverty and a lack of access to fresh produce.

In Austin, Texas, a working group of the Sustainable Food Policy Board is meeting to clarify and update city code related to urban farms, livestock, size of farm, employees and dwellings, according to the Austin Chronicle.

The working group has been holding public sessions to gather input from urban farmers and community members about pending updates to the urban farm ordinance.

In April 2013, the Flint Farmers' Market reported that the Detroit City Council adopted the city's first urban agriculture zoning ordinance recognizing agriculture as a legitimate land use and setting standards for it.

Other cities working to update or create urban agriculture codes include Boston, Massachusetts;
Fort Collins, Colorado; and Portland, Oregon.

For more information, see USDA's National Ag Library webpage on Urban Agriculture.

Home » Directories & State Resources » AgMRC Directories » Iowa State Resources

Cooperative Iowa Research, Education & Extension Service Partners
Iowa Cooperative Laws, Iowa Institute for Cooperatives
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Iowa Fact Sheet, Economic Research Service, USDA - This specific fact sheet includes current data on population, per capita income, earnings per job, poverty rates, employment, unemployment, farm and farm-related jobs, farm characteristics, farm financial characteristics, top ag commodities, top export commodities and top counties in ag sales.
Iowa Farmers' Markets
Iowa USDA Rural Development
More Links
- Center for Designing Foods to Improve Nutrition, Iowa State University.
- Iowa Small Business Development Center
- Iowa State University Extension and Iowa Ag Opportunity
- Regulatory & Compliance Assistance, Iowa Department of Economic Development.
- The Small Business Resource is designed to help business owners and entrepreneurs solve problems and locate key public and private organizations and individuals. These are business decision makers - businessmen and women looking to expand their operations, relocate companies, and plan a business startup.
- Value-added Agriculture Market Development and Administrative Services, Iowa Department of Agriculture.

State Contacts

Ray Hansen
Value-Added Agriculture Extension
Iowa State University
Ames, IA
(515) 294-3890
hansenr@iastate.edu
www.extension.iastate.edu/valueaddedag

Kathy M. Hill
Iowa Department of Economic Development
Des Moines, IA
(515) 725-3141
international@iowalifechanging.com

Mike Meissen
Value-Added Agriculture
Iowa Area Development Group
West Des Moines, IA
(800) 888-4743
mmeissen@iadg.com

Jeff Jobe
USDA Rural Development
Des Moines, IA
(515) 284-5192
jeff.jobe@ia.usda.gov

Iowa Institute For Cooperatives
Ames, IA
(515) 292-2667
iacoops@netins.net

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