The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing approximately $200,000 in a grant to the Choctaw Nation for its aquaponics implementation program. The project is funded through USDA’s Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP) grant program, which last month announced $7.4 million in funding nationwide. The project will create an aquaponics system to grow vegetables and healthy food for children, seniors, and tribal families and educate community members about the importance of agriculture. This project is the fourth UAIP grant in Oklahoma.
“This funding will support community efforts to expand access to fresh, healthy food in the Choctaw Nation,” said Jeanne Hamilton, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service State Conservationist in Oklahoma. “The growing popularity of this grant program shows the importance of our broad support for urban agriculture, local and regional food systems, and underserved communities here in Oklahoma and nationwide.”
Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grants
The Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP) competitive grants program supports a wide range of activities through two types of grants, planning projects, and implementation projects, which allow recipients to increase food production and access in economically distressed communities, provide job training and education, and allow partners to develop business plans and zoning proposals. These grants build on $40 million in projects funded since 2020 and are part of USDA’s broad support for urban agriculture through its Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP).
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