URBAN AGRICULTUREDiversifying the Food ProductA final potential benefit of an immigrant-centered urban food program is that it can add exciting diversity to thefood culture of a region—enhancing the quality of life and building a destination retail opportunity. Sometimeshost communities benefit from learning new growing techniques as happened in Chicago’s Albany Park GlobalGardens Refugee Training Farm, which abuts a community garden. 17 More common, however, are programs thathighlight the diversity of ethnic food and vegetables as a means of enhancing farm markets, restaurant districts,food trucks, and food courts.The Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis is a wonderful example of how immigrant, refugee, and ethnic foodvendors can develop a food enclave that attracts as many as 4,000 shoppers and visitors a day from near and farwhile revitalizing an urban neighborhood. 18 The Midtown Global Market is an internationally themed publicmarket featuring fresh and prepared foods, restaurants, and a selection of arts and crafts from around the world.It was designed to build on existing economic, social, and culturalassets within the surrounding community. The goal is to have amarketplace made up of locally owned, independent businesses thatnurture small business growth and the creation of job opportunities.The commercial viability of this public market gives its tenants thefoothold they need to build their businesses and economic future andto put other people to work as well.The $18 million Midtown Global Market project was spearheadedby the Latino Economic Development Center, NeighborhoodDevelopment Center, African Development Center, and PowderhornPhillips Central Wellness Center, all model programs in their ownright serving immigrant, refugee, and minority entrepreneurs. Roughlyone-third of the tenants were startup businesses started by graduatesof training classes offered by these neighborhood partners. About halfthe vendors were “second level” entrepreneurs, who had three to fiveyears of experience in business. The project has fostered communityeconomic development, provided business development opportunitiesto low-to-moderate income entrepreneurs of many different ethnicgroups, and become a community gathering space. 19It was designed to build on existingeconomic, social, and cultural assetswithin the surrounding community.The goal is to have a marketplacemade up of locally owned,independent businesses that nurturesmall business growth and thecreation of job opportunities.The commercial viability of thispublic market gives its tenants thefoothold they need to build theirbusinesses and economic future andto put other people to work as well.Other examples do not require as much capital investment.For example, a number of farmers markets focus more simply onrecruiting immigrant, refugee, and ethnic growers and vendors tomake the market more interesting and exciting to market patrons. Missouri’s Webb City Farmers Market,Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal, Seattle’s Pike Place, New York’s La Marqueta in Spanish Harlem, andMinneapolis’ Mercado Central (down Lake Street from the Midtown Global Market) are all examples of howdiverse vendor mix have added to the appeal and success of farmers markets. 2017 Mike Sula, “Albany Park’s Hidden Refugee Farm,” chicagoreader.com. Chicago Reader, September 5, 2013, http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/global-garden-farmers-market-urban-farming-refugees/Content?oid=10815893.18 See Midtown Global Market, http://www.midtownglobalmarket.org.19 See Latino Economic Development Center, http://ledc-mn.org/mgm.php.20 Greg Scruggs, “How Public Markets Support Small Businesses Owned by Women, Minorities, and Immigrants,” nextcity.org. NextCity, June 16, 2014, http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/public-markets-small-businesses-women-owned-minority-owned-immigrants.WELCOMING AMERICA | GUIDE TO <strong>IMMIGRANT</strong> ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | CHAPTER 13.84
URBAN AGRICULTURETools and ResourcesRefugee Farming Grants – Farming initiatives targeting refugees are eligible toapply for funding through the Refugee Agricultural Partnership Program (RAPP), 21 a joint venture of theU.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Officeof Refugee Resettlement. With help from RAPP grants, initiatives like New Roots Community Farm 22 and theIntervale Center in Vermont 23 have been able to use urban farming as a component of refugee resettlement andto help create sustainable economic opportunities for refugees from agrarian backgrounds. 24Immigrant Farming Initiative – Many farmers in the U.S. are nearing retirementage, and the younger generation has little interest in taking over operations. The average age of a primary farmoperator in the U.S. is 58.3 years old and has been steadily rising for the past 30 years. 25 At the same time,the share of minority-owned farms is on the rise. 26 These demographic trends make for great entrepreneurialopportunities for immigrants with agrarian skills. The National Immigrant Farming Initiative (NIFI), foundedin 2003 in conjunction with Heifer International, connects immigrants with opportunities in this arena. NIFIprovides training and technical assistance for the specific needs of immigrant farmers as well as policy advocacyto support its members. 2721 Institute for Social and Economic Development, http://www.isedsolutions.org/projects/rapp.22 See International Rescue Committee, http://www.rescue.org/us-program/us-san-diego-ca/fsch.23 Patricia Leigh Brown, “Refugee Farmers Find Solace in a Floodplain,” New York Times, May 18, 2012, and Intervale, http://www.intervale.org/.24 Office of Refugee Resettlement, http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/resource/refugee-agricultural-partnership-program.25 United States Department of Agriculture, National Agriculture Statistics Service, US Agricultural Census, February 2012.26 Ibid.27 See Immigrant Farming, http://www.immigrantfarming.org/about.html.WELCOMING AMERICA | GUIDE TO <strong>IMMIGRANT</strong> ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | CHAPTER 13.85.
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