As long as cities have existed in the United States, there have been residents growing food for sustenance. But agriculture is not only a source of survival, it is a site of resistance. Particularly for Black communities in the United States, the process of caring for and cultivating the land is seen as a liberatory act. Urban agriculture, when employed in pursuit of equity, has the potential to stabilize neighborhoods, improve public health, and address food apartheid within cities. A planning report co-produced by graduate students (at the University at Buffalo), community partners (Juneteenth Agricultural Pavilion in Buffalo, NY), and policy partners (County of Erie, NY) illustrates how urban agriculture can be used as a lever for advancing equity.

The report Growing Toward Equity aims to:

1. Promote and help sustain equitable urban agriculture in East Side neighborhoods; especially grounded in ideas, histories, and practices of Black growers.

2. Gather, analyze, synthesize, and provide information about urban agriculture.

3. Develop local government policy and planning strategies for the protection and expansion of urban agriculture.

The report will be of interest to community educators and food system educators interested in working together to advance food equity. Production of the report was supported by Growing Food Policy from the Ground Up project, Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research (FFAR), UB Food Lab, and its partners.