On Mar. 22, members of the United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) of North Carolina (N.C.) attended a walkthrough of an urban farm managed and operated by Eliseo Pascual-Baez and his wife Wendy Pascual. The farm consists of 5 acres and focuses on several different agricultural products ranging from strawberries to eggs. Mr. Pascual-Baez can grow everything using a high tunnel and greenhouse along with raised beds. All this critical infrastructure is watered by an irrigation system. His future for the farm includes goats and an orchard of tropical fruits native to his home country, Dominican Republic. He also plans to have additional high tunnels constructed to grow a larger number of crops for his local community. Mr. Pascual-Baez may not be one of the larger operations, but he is a welcomed addition to the state’s agricultural economy. 

North Carolina continues to be an important economic pillar in the southeast through agriculture. The N.C. Chamber reported that agricultural outputs represent one-sixth of the state’s overall income. This translates to 1 in 6 N.C. residents are provided jobs and $91 billion dollars are contributed to the state’s economy. Despite all of this, the state continues to lose farmland at an alarming rate. According to the study “Farms Under Threat 2040: Choosing an Abundant Future” conducted by the American Farmland Trust, ranks N.C. second in the nation in potential agricultural land lost by the year 2040.

While the situation is serious, there are viable solutions to address the significant loss of farmland. This could be in the form of agricultural easements provided by the state, NRCS, or a combination of the two; but also rethinking what farming is, via urban agriculture.

Urban agriculture provides critical access to healthy food for local communities, as well as jobs, increased green spaces, and closer community ties. Urban agriculture includes the cultivation, processing, and distribution of agricultural products in urban and suburban areas. Community gardens, rooftop farms, hydroponic, aeroponic and aquaponic facilities, and vertical production, are all examples of urban agriculture. Tribal communities and small towns may also be included. 

“N.C. NRCS is dedicated to working with farms of all sizes and in all locations, including those in urban areas,” said Tim Beard, N.C-NRCS State Conservationist. 

N.C. NRCS offers technical and financial assistance in urban agriculture with conservation practices, including:
•    High Tunnels
•    Soil Health
•    Weed and Pest Management
•    Composting Facilities
•    Irrigation

What you’ll need
•    A Farm Tract Number (Financial Assistance Only) 
•    An official tax ID (Social Security number or an employer ID) 
•    A property deed or lease agreement

N.C. NRCS also provides other assistance through voluntary programs to eligible landowners and agricultural producers to provide financial and technical assistance to help manage natural resources in a sustainable manner.  Through these programs, the agency approves contracts to implement conservation practices that addresses natural resource concerns or opportunities to help save energy, improve soil, water, plant, air, animal, and related resources on agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest land. To get started, please visit your local USDA Service Center.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. To learn more, visit usda.gov.

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