FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2024
Friends of Urban Agriculture Receives FY 2025 Arlington County Food Security Mini-Grant to Support Urban Agriculture
Friends of Urban Agriculture (FOUA) has been awarded a FY 2025 Food Security Mini-Grant from the Arlington County Department of Human Services. Part of Arlington County’s Food Security Strategic Plan, these mini-grants are designed to help local non-profit organizations working in food security. FOUA is excited to use these funds to further our mission of supporting a resilient, community-driven urban agriculture sector that provides a fair, healthy, sustainable food system for all Arlingtonians.
Through Plot Against Hunger, FOUA’s largest volunteer program, FOUA supports home, community, faith-based, and school gardens that donate Arlington-grown produce to a network of approximately 20 food pantries each week. Plot Against Hunger also manages a weekly volunteer gleaning program at area farms. In 2023, Plot gardeners donated over 14,000 pounds of vegetables and gleaned almost 45,000 pounds of produce for distribution. Plot Against Hunger also supports public education and engagement such as seed and seedling giveaways, booths at fairs and festivals, Arlington Central Library Garden Talks, and the Spring Garden Kickoff.
“The pantries we contribute to consistently tell us that fresh produce is highly valued by those they serve,” says current FOUA President Emily Landsman. “We donated nearly 60,000 lbs in 2023, and the need has only risen in our small county where many of those who experience food insecurity are in the active labor force. We strive to provide fresh produce through our network of garden plots and gleaning. We can do this only through generous donations, grants, and our dedicated base of volunteers.”
Funding from this grant will support FOUA’s Plot Against Hunger with needed supplies and equipment for gardeners and gleaners and will also support FOUA’s administrative infrastructure. FOUA is currently 100% volunteer-based with a volunteer board of directors. FOUA’s Plot Against Hunger remains the only program in Arlington County whose sole mission is to grow fresh produce for Arlington residents in need.
For more information about Friends of Urban Agriculture, including how to volunteer in and out of the garden, please visit arlingtonurbanag.org
Contact Information:
Emily Landsman, FOUA President
president@arlingtonurbanag.org
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