Collegeville, July 22, 2016 – Montgomery County Conservation District (MCCD) was awarded $26,400 to build technical assistance capacity for urban agriculture conservation projects on Sunday, July 17, by the National Association of Conservation Districts. NACD granted a total of $2 million to MCCD and 41 other districts across 25 states.

The initiative, in partnership with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, aims to increase and stabilize technical assistance capacity where the land is predominantly urban or urbanizing. The 2016 urban grants announced Sunday will allow districts to help urban farmers, community gardens, and other local agricultural partnerships implement conservation practices that support local food production, provide opportunities for education and stewardship, and protect natural resources.

MCCD will use the grant to establish the framework for an urban agriculture conservation initiative to be utilized and implemented in two target areas of Montgomery County within the first year; Norristown and Pottstown. The framework will include the creation of an electronic Urban Agricultural Conservation Resource Guide (eUACRG) to be utilized in the development, execution and sustainability of urban agricultural sites, the production of a documentary video to demonstrate and disseminate project results, as well as the creation of a partnership network to support and provide technical assistance for the expansion of urban agriculture into communities.

For more information on the program, contact Jessica Moldofsky, Ag Conservation Specialist, at the Montgomery County Conservation District, 610-489-4506 x14.

Read the full press release from NACD.

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