June 2017 Urban Sustainability Innovation Report

June 2017 - Innovation Development and Scaling for Urban Agriculture Practices

The Evolution of Good Urban Food Practices: USDN’s Family of Funds supports the scaling of a field, from early collaborative learning efforts to shovels in the ground. Urban Agriculture is a common practice now in many communities, with supporting policies and infrastructure. But not long ago, cities learned primarily through collective research and site visits. Read on to explore an emerging field. MORE»

Urban Food in Action: USDN Peer Learning Exchanges and Regional Network Grants fund convenings focus on dissemination of good practices in urban agriculture, while Partners for Places projects set examples for other cities to emulate. Previous USDN grant products exploring urban agriculture practices find new audiences and spread between cities. Partners for Places teams with local community-based foundations to promote urban agriculture in cities across North America. MORE»

Addressing Food Waste: USDN Members provide input on a national ad campaign to reduce food waste. A recently released ad campaign run by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Ad Council to reduce food waste gains insight from USDN members in its developmental phase. See what’s happening now. MORE»

Food Innovator Profile: Barbara Buffaloe (Columbia MO) reflects on her experiences in urban agricultural policy and partnerships. What does a journey towards sound urban agricultural practices look like? We chat with Barbara Buffaloe to find out.  MORE»

Food Innovator Profile: Tamara Downs Schwei (Minneapolis MN) brings a non-profit background to her city position, and discusses the city’s thoughtful evolution towards building a sustainable food culture. Tamara talks about how to create a healthy urban food ecosystem, leveraging community and policy maker interactions, and prioritizing inclusivity. Learn some of her tactics.  MORE»