Greetings and Happy Holidays to my colleagues and to Extension Directors around the country. I am writing to share a few brief updates as NUEL is working to our momentum and address the needs of our Extension system working to remain relevant, responsive, and recognized in our urban communities. The NUEL Steering Committee held our latest Bi-Annual Face to Face meeting in New Orleans, LA, December 6-8, 2023 . Special thanks to Anthony Tuggle and the Tennessee Extension System for their...

Good morning and Happy New Year! If you work with urban farmers, would you consider taking a survey about urban farmland tenure? Would you consider sharing the following survey recruitment information with any urban farmers or urban agriculture service providers you work with? Or in your newsletter? Our goal is to develop educational material about how different jurisdictions have successfully preserved urban farmland or buildings and made them accessible to growers. Invitation to...

For decades, urban farms and community gardens have helped meet demand for fresh and local produce. Urban farming creatively utilizes limited space, conserves land and transforms vacant lots or buildings into productive greenspaces. Farming in cities can be a rewarding way for communities to grow healthy food while receiving a wide range of other interrelated environmental, economic and social benefits. SARE Outreach’s newest bulletin, Best Practices for the Sustainable Urban Farm , outlines...

Please plan to attend this informative webinar. Learn more about NUEL's 4 - P's (Programs, Personnel, Partnerships and Positioning). On February 8, 2024, @ 3:30 p.m. EST learn about how NUEL positions itself to focus on Urban Extension Issues. Speakers include Katherine Williams (North Carolina State University); Marie Ruemenapp (Michigan State University); Brad Gaolach (Washington State University); Brenda Rogers (University of Florida), Anthony Tuggle (Tennessee State University), and Jeff...

Dear NUEL Regional Leader, It’s just a few short months until our NUEL National Conference, May 28-31, 2024, in Nashville, TN. We are excited about connecting with colleagues across the nation under the theme: Rhythm to the Future. We have a chance to add a new experience and enhance our connections through the addition of a hospitality suite. We are proposing regional hosting nights so that we can all better appreciate the diversity of our regions. This initiative allows each region to...

(above) Legacy City of Springfield, Massachusetts, where basketball was invented. Today's New York Times (2/3/2024) has an article about Gary, Indiana. The midwest "Legacy City" of nearly 70,000 people, like many other once vibrant manufacturing centers, is looking to reinvent itself. Many Extension professionals working in similar cities, as I do, are finding new ways to leverage the many assets that these cities have. One important point that the article makes is that investing in existing...

The introduction of the Controlled Environment crop insurance program underscores the USDA's commitment to the Front Porch Cracker Barrel supporting urban agriculture and fostering new markets for American producers.

The introduction of the Controlled Environment crop insurance program underscores the USDA's commitment to the Front Porch Cracker Barrel supporting urban agriculture and fostering new markets for American producers.

The NUEL professional Development Action Team kicks off a series of webinars focused on the 4Ps. Join us to learn more about Programs, Personnel, Partnerships, and Positioning in the urban context. No registration needed for the first webinar on February 8 at 3:30 p.m. EST. Join Zoom bit.ly/3PRNhjo If you need assistance, email ramona.m.hector@ufl.edu.

Urban Extension colleagues, help spread the word, see our Survey!

FY2024 NRCS Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Grant Program Good morning, The FY2024 NRCS Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Program (UAIP), Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) is active on Grants.gov . Applicants must submit their applications through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on Tuesday April 9, 2024. Below is the direct link to the NFO on Grants.gov for applicants to apply for this opportunity. FY24 UAIP Notice of Funding Opportunity

It's fantastic to see the University of Maryland Extension seeking talented individuals for their 4-H Youth Development Educator positions. These roles play a crucial part in nurturing youth potential and fostering community engagement. Utilizing press release distribution can amplify the visibility of such opportunities, attracting qualified candidates and enhancing the institution's online presence . By leveraging PR submission, the University can ensure that these positions reach a wider...

The Michigan State University School of Planning, Design and Construction (SPDC) invites applications for a full‐time, 12‐month Continuing Academic Specialist with a 85% extension/outreach and 15% teaching assignment. The desired position start date is May 1, 2024. This position will focus on adaptive strategies to enhance the sustainability and resilience of communities with an emphasis on climate change and development regulation. Activities will include creating educational programs and...

Please join the National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) JEDI Action Team on Friday, March 22, for a rich conversation on Advancing Wellness: Reclaiming Self-Care . This is the second of two learning circles addressing wellness from a cultural and racial equity lens. Led by expert panelists Andratesha Fritzgerald from Building Blocks of Brilliance and Sonia Lopez, Community Health Educator, University of Illinois Extension, we will explore healthy ways to prioritize self-care and improve the...

[Please share this info to your networks.] On June 11-13, The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) hosts the Urban Food Systems Symposium in Columbus, Ohio. The event includes keynotes, a grower panel, 40 presentations, a reception with approximately 50 posters, a choice of six off-site educational tours, and dinner at The Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory, a unique 261-acre university facility for teaching, research,...

Did you miss the first webinar from the NUEL Professional Development Action Team? Well don't despair, the recording of that webinar is now available on YouTube . You'll hear from Katherine Williams, Marie Ruemenapp, Brad Gaolach, and Anthony Tuggle as they share insights on Positioning with moderator Jeff Young. The next webinar in the 4P series will focus on partnerships and will be co-moderated by David Wright and Jeff Young. We hope you will join us in-person at the National Urban...

The National Urban Research & Extension Center (NUREC) invites you to attend the Soils in the City webinar presented by Dr Doug Collins on April 17 at 9:00 AM PDT . Attendance is free, but you must register to attend. Registration is available here ( https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8oU17xsqOu2ee2O ). More people around the world now live in cities than in rural areas. While cities have long been economic and cultural centers, there is increasing demand for ecological and...

The Michigan State University School of Planning, Design and Construction (SPDC) invites applications for a full‐time, 12‐month Continuing Academic Specialist with a 85% extension/outreach and 15% teaching assignment. The desired position start date is May 1, 2024. This position will focus on adaptive strategies to enhance the sustainability and resilience of communities with an emphasis on climate change and development regulation. Activities will include creating educational programs and...

Great to see this innovative approach to identifying and lifting up successful programs from the Northeast. Really appreciate the investments from the Northeast Directors to support our urban programs.

One individual is needed to fill an Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Coordinator role across the LGU system with the Urban Ag and Food Systems PAT and AgriProspects. As Urban programs are active across the country, the incumbent will serve as a lead with assistance in program execution from other AgriProspects coordinators, specifically those where CES regions overlap. This critical position will help build and engage our national network of partners working to provide access to skills...

Don’t forget! Soils in the City Webinar - The National Urban Research & Extension Center (NUREC) invites interested parties to attend the Urban Underground: Agroecological Functions of Soils in the City Webinar to be presented on April 17 at 12:00 PM ET . Attendance is free and registration here is required . Dr. Collins will share results from a National Urban Research & Extension Fellowship which included an observational study of soil parameters in farmed soils in urban and...

The Ohio State University is hiring an Urban Agriculture Specialist. This 12-month faculty member will lead a statewide Urban Agriculture team of faculty, staff, and students. They will lead urban ag system curriculum development and conduct research in collaboration with other CFAES urban-focused faculty members. They will serve as a Principal Investigator, managing grant funding, project leadership, and partner development. As leader of a five-year project funded Cooperative Agreement with...

Thanks to the generosity of funders, the book Planning for Equitable Urban Agriculture is available for free in digital form from the publisher’s website at: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-32076-7 . The Book explores urban agriculture opportunities in relation to planning and policy. There are several examples provided throughout from real communities across the United States.

It's not too late to register for the National Urban Extension Conference in Nashville, TN, May 28-31, 2024. A great lineup of speakers and workshops has been planned for your professional development. Check out the registration link below. Register Here

NUEL Conference-Rhythm to the Future May 28, 2024 May 31, 2024 Registration for the 2024 National Urban Extension Conference hosted by Tennessee Extension May 27-31,2024. The professional development conference will be held at the Renaissance Downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The professional development conference will continue to build on NUEL's (National Urban Extension Leaders) focus areas along with an administrative track. The Conference rate of $259 will be ending on May 3, 2024. So, if...

Register now and book your hotel room! Registration prices increase on May 25 and hotel reservations close May 21. UrbanFoodSystemsSymposium.org The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) hosts the 2024 Urban Food Systems Symposium in Columbus, Ohio on June 11-13. The event includes keynotes, a grower panel, 40 presentations , a reception with more than 30 posters , a choice of off-site educational tours , and dinner at The Waterman...

The AgriProspects Workforce Development Network, a collaborative effort of the Extension Foundation (EXF), the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) Economic & Workforce Development and Urban Ag & Food Systems Program Action Teams, and USDA-NIFA, aims to bolster the Extension system’s capacity to meet the evolving workforce demands within the food and agriculture sector. To further its mission, AgriProspects is seeking proposals for Round 1 of its Mini-grant Program.

Improving the quality of life in smaller, and older (legacy) cities (like Springfield, Mass) is something I have been working on for many years with my students as part of my Urban Extension work at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Photo: Springfield, Massachusetts downtown Placemaking project.