[Image: Listening Session at Whitney Young Magnet High School]

What is an Urban Agriculture Plan? Why does Chicago need one?

An Urban Ag Plan is a blueprint and timeframe for an abundant food future. A city with a shared vision for growing food is beyond gardening. A plan helps a city move the work from individual projects to a coordinated strategy using pubic policy, equitable investment and transparent infrastructure; it connects land use, local economic development, food and environmental justice, climate resilience and access to nutritious and safe food.

Check out Philadelphia’s Urban Ag Plan

Why AUA?

AUA is a boots on the ground organization, led by and for growers, LGBTQ+IA, BIPOC and disabled folx. We are trusted by the communities we represent and serve. AUA was invited by the Mayor’s Office to co-lead the Urban Agriculture Committee in the city’s Food Equity Council. The committee is composed of growers and community organizations, we collectively agreed on co-creating an Urban Agriculture Plan.

Our grassroots strategy began by surveying over 400 people and hosting 6 listening sessions to better understand the barriers faced. AUA’s findings from 330+ surveys show that over 70% of growers identified soil health and education on growing food as the most pressing critical components to urban agriculture on Chicago’s south and west sides. Land access and consistent infrastructure support were pressing issues that were identified as well.

The stories shared illustrates that current systems and investments still don’t address the barriers to growing food and the legacy industrial pollution in Chicago. The majority of 150+ participants in the listening sessions emphasized the need for water and land access, reliable soil testing, long-term soil health resources that include amendments, healthy compost and technical support.

Urban Ag Plan in the Media:
“Agriculturalists Unite: Let-Us-Grow-Our-Own-Food Plan Taking Shape"

Office of Equity & Racial Justice + Chicago United for Equity’s Co-Governance Program

AUA Stewards and the Food Equity Council were selected to participate in the pilot Racial Justice Co-Governance Program (Co-Gov) led by the city’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice and Chicago United for Equity. The program strengthens relationships between grassroots organizations and government departments. Stewards in this program have engaged in hands-on learning and collaboration to test new models of shared decision-making. These models will prioritize accountability, address past harms, and shift power toward the communities most affected by the inequities they aim to resolve.

AUA will continue gathering community grower data through surveys and listening sessions to co-create policy solutions for the barriers to urban agriculture that growers face in Chicago. Together we have co-created a space for growers to be compensated for their participation and provide leadership for solutions in direct conversation with the City.

More on AUA’s Co-Gov Work