Urban Ag and the Farm Bill
Small, Young and Urban Farmers Don’t Know Where to Turn at USDA
By Chris Clayton
Progressive Farmer
Mar 18, 2023
Excerpt:
Surprisingly, Anderberg, 36, makes his living full-time as an urban farmer essentially in his backyard. Asked about the farm bill and whether he has looked at any USDA programs that could help a small, urban farmer such as himself, Anderberg said he wasn’t aware of any programs that would work for him, or where to begin looking.
“When I think about the farm bill, I think about all the corn subsidies that are being pushed into our diet,” Anderberg said. “This is a one-man show so even if there are programs that can help, I rarely go through the trouble of seeking those out.”
Anderberg added he’d like to see more funding go into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for state “Double Up” programs that give recipients $1 back for every dollar they spend on fruits and vegetables. More than half the states nationally have some form of Double Up program.
“That’s probably not a whole lot of revenue for me, but it would help more people buy local,” he said.
