Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers to Explore Pittsburgh's Urban Agriculture Innovation
Site visits led by Grow Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Conservation District highlight urban agriculture, soil health and workforce development
Press ReleasePITTSBURGH –– The Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers visited Pittsburgh on September 9 for a site visit and tour. Hosted in partnership with Grow Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Conservation District (ACCD), the tour showcased urban farm sites and producers in Allegheny County, as well as local initiatives designed to strengthen urban agriculture, create economic opportunities, support new and established growers, improve soil health, and build more resilient regional food systems.
Photo: Hayly Hoch, ACCD's Community Agriculture & Soils Manager, highlights soil health remediation projects. Credit: Victoria Cugini, Grow Pittsburgh
Governors and delegates from the offices of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, along with Premiers from the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Québec were in Pittsburgh for a two-day conference and tour on sustainable agriculture. The Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers brings together leaders from two countries to advance water quality, sustainable agriculture, and economic development in communities surrounding the Great Lakes.
Photo: Denele Hughson, Grow Pittsburgh Executive Director, leads a tour of urban farms in Pittsburgh. Credit: Victoria Cugini, Grow Pittsburgh
Working as equal partners, the governors and premiers seek to grow the region’s nearly $9.3 trillion U.S. economy while protecting the world’s largest system of surface freshwater. The Pittsburgh tour provided an opportunity to examine how urban agriculture can contribute to economic development and environmental sustainability across the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region, as well as the long-term economic impact of investing in urban agriculture infrastructure.
The tour also highlighted the impact of ACCD’s Urban Grower Success Micro-Grant and lead soil remediation programs. These initiatives demonstrate how targeted investments can help growers improve farm viability and infrastructure while producing food for their communities. ACCD created the funding opportunity in partnership with Grow Pittsburgh, Pasa Sustainable Agriculture, Hilltop Urban Farm, Chatham University, and the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council to support urban growers in Allegheny County.
The tour began at Garden Dreams Greenhouse & Nursery. Grow Pittsburgh Executive Director Denele Hughson and ACCD Executive Director Heather Manzo led participants through the site and discussed the history and vision for the operation, including its economic model, seedling sales, technology, partnerships, and expansion. Participants will also explore alternative and values-based supply chains, emerging models for urban agriculture, lessons learned and best practices, and opportunities to use innovation and technology to increase access for urban agriculture producers.
A significant focus was ACCD’s collaboration with Pasa Sustainable Agriculture to measure, monitor, and remediate lead contamination in urban soil. This work establishes a standardized process for improving soil health and reducing contamination risks while generating baseline data to inform future food production and regional soil health strategies. The discussion will also address land ownership, business models, infrastructure gaps, policy and regulatory barriers, and the need for community-specific approaches rather than a one-size-fits-all model.“This conference and tour show that real change can happen when people extend time, attention, and trust one another. The community-informed collaborations represented in our lead soil and farmer assistance work have the potential to be replicated throughout the Great Lakes region. We are returning contaminated soil to productive use, with positive economic and public health outcomes,” says Heather Manzo, ACCD executive director. “We’re proud to support the growers who are strengthening local food systems and to share lessons that can help other communities do the same."
Photo: Heather Manzo, ACCD Executive Director, and Denele Hughson, Grow Pittsburgh Executive Director, showcase innovative urban agriculture in Pittsburgh. Credit: Victoria Cugini, Grow Pittsburgh
“We’re pleased to share Grow Pittsburgh’s work to strengthen local food systems through education and training for urban farmers and local food producers,” says Denele Hughson, Grow Pittsburgh Executive Director. “We’ve adopted innovation that promotes human-centric farming to make labor more efficient and easier for those doing the work, especially those who are using high-density urban agriculture models. Municipalities, including the City of Philadelphia, and other organizations across the state look to Grow Pittsburgh as a model in developing their urban agriculture programming.”
Following the Garden Dreams visit, participants traveled to Braddock Farm. This portion of the tour will focus on urban agriculture, workforce development, land access, and succession planning. Jessie Gumbert of Braddock Youth Project (BYP) and Megan Gallagher of Be. wild.er will discuss land challenges and the role of urban agriculture in determining the “highest and best use” of land. The discussion will examine the scale of urban agriculture in the region and persistent land-access gaps, as well as youth and adult workforce-development opportunities. Participants will learn about initiatives including Urban Growers Success microgrants, Urban Farmers in Training program, and pre-apprenticeships and workshares, all of which reduce barriers for new farmers and strengthen the agricultural workforce.
“Urban agriculture is a longstanding component of BYP's programming and one of the core ways we connect youth to work that brings about positive change in their community, " says BYP Program Director Jessie Gumbert. “We see youth choosing to do work at BYP's garden and Grow Pittsburgh sites for a range of reasons: some youth are drawn to learning about food production, while other youth love the artistic, community-beautification element of turning previously vacant lots into productive gardens.”
About ACCD: Allegheny County Conservation District (ACCD) is the trusted soil and water conservation partner in Allegheny County. As part of a national regulatory network tasked with the mission to protect, restore and preserve our natural resources, ACCD’s work focuses specifically on the keystones of our environment – soil and water. ACCD leads robust programs designed for urban and rural agriculture; facilitates professional workshops and trainings; provides access to funding; educates professionals, public representatives and the general public; and acts as the state permitting authority for four PA clean water laws.
About Grow Pittsburgh: Grow Pittsburgh is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to teach people how to grow food and to promote the benefits that gardens bring to our neighborhoods. Grow Pittsburgh uses growing food as a platform to bring people and communities together, while inspiring them to be healthier individuals, learn new skills, gain economic opportunities, care for the earth, and make the Pittsburgh region a more livable, equitable, and desirable place to be.
About the Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers: The Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers unites the chief executives of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Québec and Wisconsin. The Governors and Premiers work as equal partners to grow the region’s nearly $9.3 trillion U.S. economy and protect the world’s largest system of surface fresh water.