Seed and Secure the Future of Urban Agriculture in San Diego County
Support the Center for Community Health at UC San Diego
Green spaces play an essential role in supporting communities
to enjoy the health, social, economic and environmental benefits of growing
their own food. Yet, in San Diego County, urban growers – who predominately identify
as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), women and LGBTQIA+ – experience
significant barriers due to insecure land tenure, gentrification, displacement and
lack of resources to sustain their incredible efforts in growing food locally. We
aim to raise $50,000 to help San Diego urban growers thrive.
What is urban agriculture? Urban agriculture refers to the
cultivation, processing and distribution of agricultural products in urban
settings. It includes but is not limited to: in-ground small plots; raised beds;
vertical production; mushroom growing; urban forestry and tree care; community
gardens; school gardens; beekeeping; raising chickens and livestock; flower and
fiber production; rooftop farms; and hydroponic, aeroponic, and aquaponic
facilities. Urban growers work among diverse populations to expand access to
nutritious foods while fostering community engagement, offering workforce
development opportunities, educating communities about food and farming, and
expanding green spaces. Urban agriculture has been a part of human history
since the development of cities. It is also a strategy employed by communities
of color as a tool of resistance and liberation in response to systemic food
and environmental injustices.
ABOUT THE CAUSE
The Center for Community Health at UC San Diego leads Growing
Equity, a public health and climate resilience program. Growing Equity will
distribute $250,000 in funds to urban growers in San Diego County in 2025 and
has a goal to raise an additional $50,000 to address the unmet needs of
underserved urban growers. This program helps urban growers sustain and grow
their farming operations so they may better serve their communities by:
- Building social capital.
- Providing education and skills development.
- Supplementing access to fresh food.
- Cultivating agricultural literacy.
- Performing ecosystem services for climate resilience.
- Supporting economic development.
- Increasing food sovereignty.
- Piloting innovations in agricultural production.
The aim of Growing Equity is to provide equitable access to
public funds for underserved groups of farmers who have historically been
excluded from government agriculture programs. In a recent survey, 64% of
California urban growers identify as BIPOC, and more than 70% do not own the
land they actively work on (CAFF,
2024). More than half of urban growers surveyed said they have never
received public funding for their agriculture operations, despite their
contributions to the health and vitality of neighborhoods (CAFF,
2024). We endeavor to support urban growers in San Diego County as agents
of change, land stewards and community health leaders by offering beginner and
capacity-growth funding in the form of $10,000 seed awards and $50,000 sprout
awards.
Your Impact
Your support will help us provide an additional $50,000 in funding to urban growers in 2025 and to ensure urban agriculture remains viable in San Diego County for generations to come. When you donate, every dollar goes directly to underserved urban growers located in California Climate Investments Priority Populations. Funds will enable urban farmers to:
- Purchase critical farm equipment, like wash stations, cold
storage and greenhouses.
- Invest in their workforce through training and staff
retention.
- Build community education programs for children and adults
to learn about food and agriculture.
- Invest in climate-smart agriculture practices to mitigate
climate risks such as flood, fire and extreme heat.
- Expand their operations to grow more food in San Diego County.
- Create more green spaces in underserved neighborhoods.
Thank you for your support.
We are so grateful for your help in supporting San Diego County urban growers to sustain their efforts for generations to come.
Your donation will go to our Center for Community Health fund, where our Growing Equity program is housed. All proceeds will support urban growers in San Diego County.
For questions or more information, please contact: Sydney Lim at sllim@ucsd.edu