Food Policy Task Force Recommendation “Support Urban Agriculture”
- Homegrown Baltimore, the city government’s urban agriculture program, is a part of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s Vacants to Value Initiative to reduce vacant housing and urban blight in Baltimore. The Office of Sustainability released a Request for Qualifications in the spring of 2011 inviting urban farmers to participate in the development of city-owned vacant and underutilized properties throughout the City of Baltimore for urban agriculture. These urban farming ventures will be underway in the spring of 2012. BFPI and the Office of Sustainability are currently working actively with two farmers to select sites to lease for urban farms within the city.
- Zoning
We are currently drafting zoning language to support urban agriculture in Baltimore’s updated zoning code, Rewrite Baltimore. This includes re-writing the code to include language to support the use of hoop houses and community gardens.
- Urban Agriculture Training Program
BFPI and the Office of Sustainability are currently in the process of developing an Urban Agriculture Training Program in collaboration with Future Harvest. More details coming soon.
Lead Collaborators: Baltimore Office of Sustainability and Future Harvest
Urban Agriculture Resources
Below are some key resources related to Urban Agriculture including land use policies to promote urban agriculture, brownfield information, city Health Department regulations, ways to connect to the local Baltimore City urban agriculture community, and resources on sustainable farming, high tunnels and composting: (* from the Maryland National Resources Conservation Service Office of Sustainability Presentation on Urban Agriculture in Baltimore City )