$2.5M Available to Expand Urban Farms and Community Gardens

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today announced that $2.5 million is available through New York State’s Urban Farms and Community Gardens Grant Program. Now in its third round, the program is designed to support community growing spaces and their contributions to local food resiliency and food security for New Yorkers. The program will support projects geared toward the development and enhancement of urban farms, school gardens, and community gardens across the state. Funding for the program was included in the FY 2025 and 2026 Budgets and builds on Governor Kathy Hochul’s commitment to increasing affordability and food access for all New Yorkers.

Commissioner Ball said, “One of our priorities at the Department is making sure that more New Yorkers have fresh, nutritious foods available in their communities, and our Urban Farms and Community Gardens Grant Program is one piece in that puzzle. Over the first two rounds, we’ve seen some incredible projects come to fruition, and I’m excited to see that progress continue in the third round, with even more funding dedicated to this great program. I encourage all eligible community organizations to consider applying.”

Funding through the Urban Farms and Community Gardens Grant Program will help offset costs associated with projects that focus on food production, food safety, and food distribution, while creating a lasting impact on local food resiliency. Funds may be used to fund worker wages, contractual expenses, equipment, and other operating expenses. Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organizations, not-for-profit educational institutions, municipal government entities, and Indian tribal organizations.  

For more information on the program and how to apply, visit agriculture.ny.gov/rfa-0344-urban-farms-and-community-gardens-grant-program. A virtual webinar, which will provide potential applicants with information about the program, how to apply, and eligibility requirements, will be held on July 29, 2025, at 12:00 pm. Registration is required. For more information, please contact [email protected].  

The Urban Farms and Community Gardens Grant program complements the State’s ongoing efforts to provide technical assistance to community growing organizations statewide and promote urban agriculture. The second round of the program awarded $1 million to 22 projects across New York. The program was renewed and enhanced, with $2.5 million dedicated in the FY 2025 and 2026 Budgets.

The program continues to play a unique role in the Governor’s commitment to encourage more community growing and urban farming. In addition to the Urban Farms and Community Gardens Grant Program, Governor Hochul’s commitment to advancing urban agriculture in New York State includes the Community Gardens Task Force, Community Gardens Soil Testing Program, and the Community Gardens Leadership Certificate Program. To learn more about these programs, please visit the Department’s Community Gardens webpage.

New York is home to more than 3,000 registered or permitted urban and community gardens. The Department of Agriculture and Markets helps foster greener, healthier communities by connecting gardening groups with state or local agencies to facilitate the use of available land as growing spaces.

The Urban Farms and Community Gardens Grant Program is one initiative in an array of programs implemented by New York State to build a more resilient food system. New York continues to support several groundbreaking programs that focus on improving access to locally grown foods including through its 2026 Budget, including the Nourish NY program, the 30 Percent NYS Initiative for school meals, and the Farm-to-School program. Additionally, this year’s Budget included the third round of funding as part of the Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program, which provides $50 million over five years to support regional cooking facilities that will facilitate the use of fresh New York State farm products in meal preparation for K-12 school children.

These investments build on the Governor’s commitment to boost demand for New York agricultural products, bolster New York's food supply chain, and ensure all New Yorkers can access fresh, local foods. This includes the Governor’s Executive Order 32 directing State agencies to increase the percentage of food sourced from New York farmers and producers to 30 percent of their total purchases within five years. The Governor has also committed $25 million toward the New York State Grown & Certified Infrastructure, Technology, Research and Development Grant Program to assist food producers, processors, distributors, and others using New York ingredients to bring innovative NYS Grown & Certified products to market.

In addition, New York State continues to prioritize increasing access to food for all New Yorkers through its FreshConnect initiative, Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs, and more.