Urban Agriculture Working Group

The Urban Agriculture Working Group was created as a way for growers from across New Orleans to share their common issues and work together to influence how the city can change its policies and programs to support and uplift urban agriculture and foster a stronger local food system. We will collectively decide our structure and decision-making processes, which will take some time. To start, the UAWG will have 1.5 - 2 hours long meetings quarterly. In between those quarterly meetings, UAWG members and the public are encouraged to reach out to Grace Treffinger, our new Urban Agriculture Liaison, with any other ideas, suggestions, and concerns related to urban agriculture and the city. 

Urban Agriculture Working Group Meetings

Next Meeting: June 10, 2026 11AM - 1PM
 
March 18, 2026 11:30AM - 1PM

Read meeting notes here: UAWG Meeting Notes March 2026

We were joined by about 20 urban farmers, community gardeners, and food policy advocates at Nora Navra Library. We focused on:

  • Land access
    • We reviewed survey results from about 25 growers. If you haven't completed the Urban Agriculture Land Access Survey, especially if you are a grower looking to access land, please do so here: https://forms.gle/sM4r3JRbDipfdkxn9
    • Alex Vialou from NORA shared updates on the Growing Green program and alternative land access pathways they're working on for growers.
  • Urban Agriculture & Food Plan
    • Mina Seck and Devin Wright shared updates from Sprout on the very early stages of the city's first Urban Agriculture & Food Plan. This planning process is being coordinated by Sprout, New Orleans Food Policy Council, the Urban Agriculture Liaison and the New Orleans Health Department. Keep an eye out for opportunities to shape the plan! Email urbanag@nola.gov with any questions.                                                                          
December 15, 2025 1 - 3PM
  • Our fourth (and last) Urban Agriculture Working Group meeting of the year took place at the beautiful Crown Community Garden in New Orleans East! Thank you to Kim for hosting us and touring us around their garden, which has been there for over 11 years. We took time to celebrate our urban agriculture wins from 2025 and set some goals for 2026 for how to develop a stronger local food system and support gardens and farms. 
  • Read meeting notes here: UAWG Meeting Notes December 2025

            

  • A few wins:

    • March: Launched the Urban Agriculture Working Group

    • June: Launched the Animal Husbandry Working Group

    • August: Printed and distributed Regenerative Agriculture Yard Signs

    • August and October: Hosted trainings with Code Enforcement to support cover crop ordinance implementation

    • October: Passed the Cover Crop Ordinance!

    • October: Hosted On Farm Water Access Event with Sprout and SWBNO

​Thanks to all of the dedicated growers of New Orleans for continuing to show up and support this work!                                    

September 21st, 2025 
  • Our third Urban Agriculture Working Group was hosted in collaboration with the Greater New Orleans Growers' Alliance (GNOGA) at the Material Institute. We heard work updates from the Urban Agriculture Liaison (UAL) and everyone shared feedback on ongoing efforts to support urban agriculture like a potential land access program for growers. 
  • Read meeting notes here: UAWG-Meeting-Notes-September-21
June 25th, 2025
  • About 20 growers got together for our second UAWG meeting at Rosa Keller Library. 
  • Read meeting notes here: UAWGMeetingMinutesJune25

First Meeting: March 20th, 2025
  • The first UAWG meeting was held on Thursday, March 20th, 2025 12:00 - 1:30pm at City Hall.
  • Read meeting notes here: UAWGMeetingMinutesMarch20.pdf

 

We were joined by nearly 20 gardeners, farmers, and land stewards from across the city. Many of these growers have been part of a long legacy of building community and feeding their neighbors through community gardens and farms for years. This group will advise and support our new Urban Agriculture Liaison. A huge shoutout to A Greener New Orleans (AGNO) campaign members, Sprout NOLA, NOLA Food Policy Council (NOFPC), the Greater New Orleans Growers' Alliance (GNOGA), Louisiana Progress, and others who pushed this work forward! The AGNO Campaign is what led to the creation of the Urban Agriculture Liaison role and this working group. We were glad to be joined by staff from Councilmembers' Moreno, Harris, and Thomas's office. Thanks to all of the growers for your persistent efforts to care for the land and our community!Pictured: most of the Urban Agriculture Working Group members at the first meeting at City Hall on March 20th, 2025.