HARTFORD— U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representative Rose DeLauro (CT-3) announced federal funding that will boost the City of New Haven’s urban agriculture, composting, and food waste reduction initiatives. New Haven is among the first ever round of recipients of about $4.1 million in grants awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s new Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovation Production. The Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production was established through the 2018 Farm Bill, which was supported by Blumenthal, Murphy, and DeLauro. 

“The City of New Haven has been at the forefront of strengthening urban agriculture and reducing food waste, and we are proud that these federal grants can support these important efforts,” said the Members. “The City’s innovations will help make fresh and affordable food more accessible to New Haven residents, and improve how food waste is disposed of and reused. These local efforts will also help inform others about how to make healthy food accessible for all, especially those living in urban food deserts, and help teach more communities about responsible composting. This work is vital to improve the health and well-being of Americans, and to reduce harmful environmental impacts of food waste.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded the City of New Haven two grants: the Urban Agriculture and Innovation Production Competitive Grant and the Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction Project Cooperative. The first grant will help the city develop a blueprint for increasing production and sale of locally-grown foods, especially in areas with vacant land and limited food access, among other priorities. The second grant will help the city bring together local organizations to expand composting efforts and grow local food, with the goal of reducing food waste and generating compost to support urban agriculture and gardening.

More details about the projects and the full list of grant recipients can be found here.

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