There are plenty of people farming in urban areas. One is Clarence Hogue, of the Indigenous Farm Hub, who started a farm in Corrales, near Albuquerque, during the first days of the pandemic, when some families lost their income and were short of food
"We thought, let's try growing some food for people, families," he said. Now the farm grows about 40 types of vegetables and through a Community Supported Agriculture program, they subsidize produce for some local families.
However, Nickolas Goodman, the district conservationist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture office in Albuquerque, said such urban growers haven't always received a lot of help.
"People have been having small gardens and small farms in urban areas for a long time now, but we just haven't really served them," he said.
Now, the USDA is investing in new offices nationwide to help people growing food in cities. One of these new Urban Service Centers is in Albuquerque.
Goodman said the typical client is anyone in and around the city growing any amount of food for sale.
“We can work with people with a small scale as they are growing as long as they are performing a service for their community," he said.
The center can help come up with sustainable farming plans, including addressing things like erosion or water depletion. And the staff there can also help guide growers on how to apply for a grant to, for instance, build a hoop house.
The center is open now at 100 Sun Avenue Northeast. Farmers can use these contact details to call or make an appointment.
In a separate initiative, two USDA business workshops are being held at the same address on August 8 and 9, for farmers to learn about how to apply for grants. People interested can call 505-761-4940 for more information.
