Post on 29-Jan-2016
May 20th, 2015
Urban Ag Visioning Meeting
www.northboundventures.com© Northbound Ventures, LLC
Agenda
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
11:00 AM Welcome and Introductions
11:15 AM Visioning Process Review
11:30 AM Initiative Integration
12:00 PM Urban Ag Visioning Charrette
12:30 PM Field Trip (optional)
Big Vision
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
Visioning Process Review
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
Origin & Objectives
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
Origin
Community organization, Article 89 and USDA LFPP Grant
Objectives
1) Establish a five-year vision for supporting urban agriculture in Boston
2) Determine goals, performance metrics, and milestones
3) Assign strategies to participating organizations, aligning skills, and expertise with interest
Grant Interested Parties
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
Steering Committee
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
Best Bees, Noah Wilson-Rich Boston Food Forest Coalition, Orion Kriegman Boston Redevelopment Authority, Marie Mercurio Codman Square Neighborhood Development, Jason Boyd Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, Bayoan Rossello-Cornier Freight Farms, Brad McNamara Green City Growers, Jessie Banhazl NUBIA Seed & Yield Program, Sayed Mohamed-Nour CCK Pearl, Jenn Faigel ReVision Urban Farm, Shani Fletcher The Department of Neighborhood Development, Xaviera Strouble The Food Project, Sutton Kiplinger* The Mayor’s Office of Food Initiatives, Jordan Smith The Trustees of Reservations, Conrad Crawford Trust for Public Land, Kevin Essington Tufts New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, Jennifer Hashley The Boston Foundation, Allison Bauer and Pamela Hung The Kendall Foundation, Andy Kendall Urban Farming Institute, Patricia Spence
Actions to Date
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
JAN TBF
Launch
SC Announced
Expectations
Offers/Asks
Concerns / Questions
Vision statements
FE
B Seaport
Steering Committee Meeting
Public Meeting
Commercial integration
Guest speakers
MA
R BPL Central
Metrics
Goals
AP
R BPL East Boston
Metrics Insights
Stakeholder Engagement Survey Results
Best Practices
Stakeholder Engagement Survey USDA Mid-Report
Metrics
Number of direct jobs created Number of jobs retained Number of indirect jobs created Number of markets expanded Number of new markets established Market sales increased by $ and by
% Number of farmers/producers that
have benefited from the project - % increase
* Statistically insignificant sample
Lead level in soil Diversity of farmers Ability of urban ag to change personal
behavior # of people engaged in urban farming # of compost produced Community perception of urban ag as
part of green/open space Total # and value of food produced $ invested in urban ag development Profitability of farmers #/$ Food access program Job creation
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
USDA LFPP Urban Ag Visioning Results*
Urban Ag Best Practices
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
Vertical Harvest, Jackson Hole, WY Growing Power, Milwaukee, WI Intervale, Burlington, VT Green or Solar Rooftop Requirement, Paris, FR The People’s Grocery, Oakland CA Recover Green Roofs, Somerville, MA Best Bees, Boston, MA Freight Farms, Boston, MA Beacon Hill Food Forest, Seattle, WA Gardening the Community, Springfield, MA Higher Ground, Boston, MA Somerville Mobile Farmers Market, Somerville, MA Korean Natural Farming Workshop, NOFA
US EPA Urban Environmental Program
Food Solutions New England
MA Food Plan
MDAR Urban Agriculture Program
Vision Integration
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
US EPA UEP
EPA-New England first launched an urban
pilot program in Boston, MA in 1994 when
the Urban Environmental Initiative began.
Since formalization in 2002, the Urban
Environmental Program (UEP) has
expanded its targeted programs to the
urban communities of Chelsea, Holyoke,
Springfield, and Worcester. The
Massachusetts Urban Environmental
Program is designed to improve the urban
environment, address environmental health
concerns, and enhance the quality of life
for urban residents.
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
Food Solutions New England
Incorporating more than three
years of collaborative research
and input from hundreds of voices
from throughout New England, A
New England Food Vision calls for
our region to reach a bold goal of
50 by 60™ building the capacity
to produce at least 50% of clean,
fair, just and accessible food for all
New Englanders by 2060.
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
MA Food System Plan
GOALS
1. Increase production, sales and consumption of Massachusetts-grown foods;
2. Create jobs and economic opportunity in food and farming, and improve the wages and skills of food system workers;
3. Protect the land and water needed to produce food, minimize the environmental impact of agriculture, and ensure food safety; and
4. Reduce hunger and food insecurity, increase the availability of fresh, healthy food to all residents, and reduce food waste.
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
MDAR Urban Ag Program
Launched in 2013, the MDAR Urban
Agriculture Program is one of the nation’s
first state-wide programs to support and
promote commercial urban farming
enterprises. Funding through the program
targets infrastructure needs, innovative food
production, zoning ordinances, technical
assistance, land acquisition, and youth
leadership development. This program is
also designed to build community
partnerships (eg. Massachusetts Urban
Farming Conference and recent Community
Planning Symposium).
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
Objectives
1) Establish a five-year vision for supporting urban agriculture in Boston
2) Determine goals, performance metrics, and milestones
3) Assign strategies to participating organizations, aligning skills, and
expertise with interest
Group Exercise
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
Q9: Describe your farming operation. Select all that apply.
Instructions
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
Review Opportunity
1Plot Site
2Group Report Out
3
Urban Ag Development
You have a near one acre urban lot (~200’ X 200’) with an existing vacant building, (4) stories at 15’ each, which is 50’ x 200’.
You need $100,000 in funding to start an urban agriculture operation.
System options: ground, rooftop, raised bed, container, hoop house, greenhouse, soil-based, hydroponic, aquaponic, hives, hens, etc.
Select the system(s) you will operate and areas you would like to manage with each.
How will your operation function economically?
What “X” factors might you have to consider as you develop the site?
What impact will your operation have on the surrounding community?
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
Opportunity Statement Instructions
1
© Northbound Ventures, LLC
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
URBAN AG DEVELOPMENT EXERCISESKETCH YOUR SITE
200’
200’50’
60’
2
© Northbound Ventures, LLC
Group Report
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
Where is your site? What system(s) did you select? Funding? Ongoing business model? Partners? What “X” factors did you consider? What results/impacts do you anticipate:
• For the business?• For the community?• For the environment?
What additional information/assistance do you need?
3
© Northbound Ventures, LLC
Resources & Links
Remaining Meetings
Field Trip (optional)
Reminders
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
Resources
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
Urban Ag Visioning Blog City of Boston Website
Resources
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
BRA DND
Resources Links
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
Urban Ag Visioning Bloghttps
://bostonurbanag.wordpress.com
City of Boston Website
http://www.cityofboston.gov/food/urbanag/
Boston Redevelopment Authority
http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org
Department of Neighborhood Development
http://dnd.cityofboston.gov
Remaining Meetings
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
Wed. June 17
• 8-10 AM• Spontaneous
Celebrations in Jamaica Plain
• Details & RSVP
Wed. July 15
• 8-10 AM• Wheels Up
Club at Fenway Park
• Details & RSVP
Wed. Aug 19
• 4-6 PM• District Hall in
the Seaport• Details & RS
VP
Field Trip (optional)
Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group
DSNI
Food Project Dudley Greenhouse
Food Project Farm
Food Project Farm
Community Garden
Kroc Center