Media Contact:
Deputy Executive Jeff Flynt
(920) 448-4083
(Brown County, Wis.) – Brown County’s UW-Extension will explore opportunities for the general public to become engaged in urban farming, which has been in high demand from community members. This is one of the initiatives in Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach’s 2018 budget proposal.
“Urban farming can provide a sustainable food source throughout Brown County,” says Streckenbach. “This initiative has also shown the ability to help spur economic activity, while bringing community members together at places like farmer’s markets.”
The goal for UW-Extension staff will be to identify the educational and marketing needs of existing urban farmers and build a formal network connecting them. Urban farming is the practice of cultivating, processing, and distributing food in or around a community.
According to the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, urban farming can have the following key impacts on a community:
Social Impacts
Creating Safe Places/Reducing Blight
Access to Land
Community Development/Building Social Capital
Education and Youth Development Opportunities
Cross-Generational and Cultural Integration
Health Impacts
Food Access and Security
Increased Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
Food and Health Literacy
General Well-Being (Mental Health and Physical Activity)
Economic Impacts
Job Creation, Training and Business Incubation
Market Expansion for Farmers
Economic Savings on Food
Savings for Municipal Agencies
Increased Home Values
