August 19th, 2015

Urban Ag Visioning Meeting

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Agenda

Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group

4:00 PM Welcome and Introductions 4:10 PM Visioning Process Review 4:20 PM Practitioner’s Panel

- Shani Fletcher, ReVision Urban Farm

- Sayed Mohamed-Nour, NUBIA - Darci Schofield, Trust for Public Land - Barbara Knecht, Urban Farming Institute

5:20 PM Visioning Outcomes 5:50 PM Next Steps

- Allison Rogers, Interim Director, City of Boston OFI

6:00 PM Meeting Conclusion

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 ¨  Commonwealth Kitchen, Jenn Faigel ¨  ReVision Urban Farm, Shani Fletcher ¨  The Department of Neighborhood Development, Will Epperson ¨  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

Work Plan January – April 2015

Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group

JAN

TBF Launch SC Announced Expectations Offers/Asks Concerns / Questions Vision statements

FEB

Seaport Steering Committee Meeting Public Meeting Commercial integration Beekeeping

MA

R

BPL Central Metrics Goals

AP

R

BPL East Boston Metrics Insights Stakeholder Engagement Survey Results Best Practices Community gardens

Stakeholder Engagement Survey USDA Mid-Report

Work Plan May – August 2015

Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group

MAY

Kroc Center Integration with other food system initiatives Visioning site design charrette Dudley Street Greenhouse & The Food Project

JUN

E

Spontaneous Celebrations •  Food Policy

Council – UA Agenda

•  Barriers to Entry

•  Engagement Campaign

•  Food forests JU

LY

Fenway •  Commercial

Growing •  Rooftop farm •  Goals,

milestones, and metrics

AU

G

District Hall •  Profiles of

Leadership: Boston UA Practitioners

•  Final vision presentation

2nd Stakeholder Engagement Survey USDA Final Report

•  Shani Fletcher, ReVision Urban Farm •  Sayed Mohamed-Nour, NUBIA •  Darci Schofield, Trust for Public Land •  Barbara Knecht, Urban Farming Institute

Practitioners Panel

Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group

Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group

Photo credits (clockwise from top left): Garrison-Trotter Farm by Maureen White Photography; NUBIA; ReVision Urban Farm; Fowler- Clark-Epstein Farm by Holly Fowler

Visioning Outcomes

Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group

Final Report

Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group

Acknowledgements

Project Background &

objectives

Visioning process

Public meetings review

Stakeholder engagement

surveys

visioning approach &

framework

Visioning goals

Resources

Contact information

Boston Urban Agriculture

A City’s Vision for Growing Food, Community and the Economy

URBAN AGRICULTURE Vision Approach & Framework

Community Outcomes

Economic

Ecological

Social

Health

Food System Initiatives

Urban Ag Vision Strategies Metrics Milestones Partners

Boston Urban Agriculture

A City’s Vision for Growing Food, Community and the Economy

URBAN AGRICULTURE Vision Goals Overview

Increase available land for agriculture

Improve food production

opportunities for all

Promote community health and

engagement

Increase food system resiliency

and food security of all citizens

GOALS

Boston Urban Agriculture

A City’s Vision for Growing Food, Community and the Economy

URBAN AGRICULTURE Vision

Goal  1:  Op*mize  poten*al  produc*ve  landscape  

Strategies  •  Con*nue  iden*fica*on  of  available  

municipal  lots  available  for  conversion  to  produc*ve  agricultural  plots,  priori*zing  neighborhoods  currently  underserved  by  urban  ag  

•  Con*nue  rezoning  ini*a*ves  to  increase  total  poten*al  produc*ve  space  for  commercial  and  non-­‐commercial  ac*vi*es  

•  Incen*vize  private  land  owners  to  transi*on  non-­‐produc*ve  landscapes  to  produc*ve  agricultural  spaces  

Metrics  •  %  of  land  converted  from  non-­‐

produc*ve  space  to  urban  ag  use  •  %  of  infrastructure  development  

footprint  dedicated  to  produc*ve  space  

•  Total  produc*ve  area  •  #  of  hives  and  #  of  hens  •  Contribu*ons  to  storm  water  

management,  carbon  sequestra*on,  and  soil  growth  

Milestones  •  Year  1:  Baseline  assessment/

available  land  use  review  •  Year  2:  >0%  conversion  •  Year  3:  >5%  conversion  •  Year  4:  >10%  conversion  from  

baseline  •  Year  5:  >20%  conversion  from  

baseline  

City  of  Boston  (OFI,  DND,  BRA)  

Land  trusts  /  conserva*on  orgs  

Neighborhood  associa*ons  

Land  owners  and  developers   Funders  

Boston Urban Agriculture

A City’s Vision for Growing Food, Community and the Economy

URBAN AGRICULTURE Vision

Goal  2:  Improve  food  produc*on  opportuni*es  for  all  

Strategies  •  Add  social  and  environmental  

criteria  to  DND  RFP*  •  Establish  addi*onal  applicant  

qualifica*ons  beyond  current  financial  benchmarks  

•  Address  zoning  dispari*es  through  con*nued  food  policy  reform  to  ensure  greater  equity  of  access  to  growing  space  

•  Invest  in  citywide  marke*ng  of  urban  ag    development  opportuni*es  to  all  ci*zens  and  provide  technical  and  financial  assistance  to  exis*ng  growers  and  farmers  in  training  

Metrics  •  Average  $  spent  per  acre  

development  from  RFP  process  to  opera*onal  readiness  

•  #  of  unique  RFP  applicants  •  %  of  RFPs  awarded  to  minority  

individuals/organiza*ons  yearly  •  Total  popula*on  /  %  popula*on  

engaged  in  growing  food  •  #  /  size  of  community  ag  plots  

located  within  walking  distance  (10  min.  or  1/2  mile)  of  every  resident  

Milestones  •  Year  1:  Baseline  assessment  of  

costs  and  engagement  conducted  •  Year  2:  Tiered  cost  system  based  

on  the  opera*onal  profile  of  sites  established  

•  Year  3:  City-­‐wide  uniform  zoning  established  

•  Year  4:  Opera*onal  cost  decreased  >30%  

•  Year  5:  Engagement    increased  >30%  across  demographic  and  geographic  lines  

City  of  Boston  (OFI,  DND,  BRA)  

Land  trusts  /  Conserva*on  orgs  

Farmer  training  programs  

Neighborhood  organiza*ons   Funders  

*  See  Understanding  how  the  city  “sells”  buildings  and  land  –  Department  of  Neighborhood  Development    

Boston Urban Agriculture

A City’s Vision for Growing Food, Community and the Economy

URBAN AGRICULTURE Vision

Goal  3:  Increase  food  system  resiliency  and  food  security  of  all  ci*zens  

Strategies  •  Address  zoning  dispari*es  through  

con*nued  food  policy  reform  to  create  addi*onal  market  outlets  for  farmers  and  to  bring  access  points  for  local  food  into  propor*on  with  neighborhood  demand    

•  Increase  public  and  private  subsidies  to  ensure  fair  market  prices  for  farmers  and  affordable  local  produce  for  low  income  local  residents  

Metrics  •  Total  $/#/%  of  food  grown  and  

purchased  locally  •  %  of  demand  /  sales  comprised  of  

locally  produced  product  •  Delta  between  price  of  locally  

grown  vs.  externally  grown  food  •  #  of  food  access  programs  offering  

locally  grown  foods  •  Par*cipa*on  rate  in  food  access  

and  emergency  food  assistance  programs  

•  Con*nuous  improvement  of  self-­‐sustaining  farm  opera*ons  based  on  opera*onal  income  versus  external  funding  

Milestones  •  Year  1:  Baseline  assessment  of  

local  food  produc*on  and  distribu*on  

•  Year  2:  Citywide  uniform  zoning  for  local  food  access  points  

•  Year  3:  >10%  increase  in  local  food  produc*on/purchasing  from  baseline  opportunity  

•  Year  4:  >20%  increase  in  local  food  produc*on/purchasing  from  baseline  opportunity  

•  Year  5:  Trend  of  decreasing  demand  for  emergency  food  assistance  

City  of  Boston  (OFI,  DND,  BRA)   Farmers   Community  

health  advocates  Neighborhood  associa*ons   Hunger  agencies   Funders  

Boston Urban Agriculture

A City’s Vision for Growing Food, Community and the Economy

URBAN AGRICULTURE Vision

Goal  4:  Promote  community  health  and  engagement    

Strategies  •  Establish  communica*on  strategy  

and  materials  to  educate  ci*zens  about  local  urban  ag    

•  Develop  a  research  agenda  to  inform  con*nuous  improvements  and  communicate  progress  on  urban  ag  engagement  

•  Incen*vize  community  partners  to  promote  the  urban  ag  agenda  to  the  general  public  

Metrics  •  #  of  unique  and  repeat  residents  

interac*ng  with  urban  ag  yearly  by  neighborhood/demographic  

•  %  of  residents  repor*ng  health  related  behavior  change  or  improvement  related  to  urban  ag  

•  %  of  residents  repor*ng  improved  sa*sfac*on  with  local,  healthy,  affordable  food  op*ons  

•  %  of  residents  repor*ng  increased  community  interac*on  facilitated  by  urban  ag  

Milestones  •  Year  1:  Baseline  assessment  of  

resident  engagement  and  sa*sfac*on  

•  Years  2-­‐5:  Con*nuous  improvement  of  all  metrics  

City  of  Boston  (OFI,  DND,  BRA)  

Farmers/farmer  training  programs  

Community  health  advocates  

Neighborhood  associa*ons   Funders  

Ins*tu*ons  (e.g.  schools,  churches,  hospitals,  work  

places)  

SMEs  (e.g.  researchers,  MARCOM  specialists)  

Public  assistance  agencies  

•  Allison Rogers, Office of Food Initiatives

Next Steps and Resources

Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group

Resources

Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group

Urban Ag Visioning Blog City of Boston Website

Thank you

CGIKU

Boston Urban Ag Visioning Group