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Changes made and lessons learned, measures used to deal with the pandemic (risk mitigation), and planned future changes reported by Annie's Project |
Participants in the NJ Annie's Project Photo courtesy of the author |
New Brunswick, NJ: New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the United States, with 92.2% of its residents living in urban neighborhoods; however, it has an estimated 750,000 acres of farmland, with more than half of the urban farmers in the state being female.
In a significant effort to bolster the resilience and productivity of urban women farmers,Urban Annie's Project, a comprehensive Risk Management Training Program is now being launched, designed specifically to equip them with essential knowledge and skills. This initiative focuses on reducing the risks associated with urban farming, which range from climate impacts and financial uncertainties to production challenges.
The training program, aimed at supporting women's empowerment in agriculture, addresses the unique obstacles faced by urban women farmers in developing secure and sustainable farming operation, including soil quality issues such as fertility and heavy metal contamination, the need for additional off-farm employment requiring time management skills, crop irrigation and water quality, direct marketing in food deserts, food safety, working with clients of the women, infants, and children (WIC) and supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) education (SNAP-Ed) programs, overcoming language and cultural barriers, and acquiring short-term leases for land and property. By providing targeted risk management education, the program seeks to enhance participants' abilities to make informed decisions about resource management, budgeting, market trends, and crop protection, among other key factors.
Beyond traditional training, the program emphasizes collaboration, building a network of urban women farmers who can share knowledge, resources, and strategies. This collaborative element is intended to foster a strong support system, empowering participants not only through education but also through community-building.
Findings show that the Urban Agriculture Program (UAP) significantly enhanced participants' self-rated knowledge and understanding of urban farming risks, prompting them to make changes in all five key areas of farm risk (market, financial, human, legal, and production) and plan for additional future adjustments. The responses to questions on these topics were statistically significant, confirming an increase in understanding across all risk areas. A follow-up survey, conducted six months post-training, indicated sustained knowledge gains, enabling participants to better manage the impacts of COVID-19 on their farm businesses. Overall, UAP effectively improved farm risk management knowledge among participants.
The Risk Management Training Program reflects a growing commitment to urban agriculture as a means to ensure food security, environmental resilience, and economic growth. By empowering women farmers with this specialized knowledge, the program aims to create a lasting impact on urban farming communities and support a future of resilient, sustainable urban agriculture.
The full article can be found on the ASHS HortScience electronic journal website at: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI17305-23
Established in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science is recognized around the world as one of the most respected and influential professional societies for horticultural scientists. ASHS is committed to promoting and encouraging national and international interest in scientific research and education in all branches of horticulture.
Comprised of thousands of members worldwide, ASHS represents a broad cross-section of the horticultural community - scientists, educators, students, landscape and turf managers, government, extension agents and industry professionals. ASHS members focus on practices and problems in horticulture: breeding, propagation, production and management, harvesting, handling and storage, processing, marketing and use of horticultural plants and products. To learn more, visit ashs.org
