Summer Lettuce Project at JGTF
Regional Conservation Partnership Program Award – Great News for KC Area Farmers
Cultivate KC is thrilled to share that our Regional Conservation Partnership Program proposal “Expanding Climate Resilience Resources and Land Access for Urban Growers in the Kansas City Metro Area” was awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In partnership with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and twelve collaborating organizations, this project will invest $6.4 million over five years directly with Kansas City-area growers to implement conservation practices and secure agricultural conservation easements for long-term land protection for food production.
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is a partner-driven approach to conservation that funds solutions to natural resource challenges on agricultural land. This funding, along with additional contributions from local partners, will help Kansas City’s urban growers work with NRCS to adopt and expand voluntary, locally led conservation strategies to enhance natural resources and strengthen their resilience in the face of climate change. The project will also help permanently protect five parcels of significant urban and peri-urban farmland that face intense development pressure and address the unique natural resource concerns experienced by urban and innovative producers in the Kansas City metropolitan area using strategic easement acquisitions and conservation practices. We expect opportunities for growers to apply for funding from this project to open mid-year in 2025, so stay tuned for more information.
The project brings together twelve contributing partners to leverage an additional $2.6 million of financial and technical support for this collaborative work. Contributing partners include:
- American Farmland Trust
- City of Kansas City, MO – Office of Environmental Quality
- Kansas City Community Gardens
- Kansas Land Trust
- Kansas State University
- KC Farm School
- K-State Research and Extension – Johnson County
- K-State Research and Extension – Wyandotte County
- Miami County Conservation District
- Platte Land Trust
- The Conservation Fund
- University of Missouri Extension – Jackson County
This year’s RCPP investment is made with funding available through the Farm Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act. The Inflation Reduction Act is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America Agenda and the largest investment in climate action and conservation in world history, which has enabled USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to boost funding for RCPP. Read the full press release here and or check out this news story from KCTV5 to learn more. You can also view an interactive map here of all the awarded projects throughout the US in 2024.
This award is a tremendous win for Kansas City-area farmers and gardeners that we hope will make a transformative impact on our city for years to come.
