In Bid to End Food Deserts, Dallas Approves Urban Agriculture Plan to Bring Fresh Produce to Underserved Areas

The Dallas City Council on Wednesday approved a comprehensive urban agriculture plan with the aim of increasing the acreage of neighborhood growing sites and providing access to healthy, local food. 

Objectives outlined in the Comprehensive Urban Agriculture Plan could serve equity priority areas with high minority populations by increasing the acreage of local growing sites from seven to 17 acres by 2027.

Council members lauded the program — and the fact that there’s no associated cost to taxpayers, at least not immediately. 

Director of Environmental Quality and Sustainability Carlos Evans and Urban Agriculture Coordinator Rabekha Siebert presented the plan to the council last week ahead of Wednesday’s vote. The plan meets goals outlined in the city’s Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan and Racial Equity Plan to support the local agriculture ecosystem in communities overburdened by environmental pollution, Evans said. 

Urban Agriculture Plan Impact on Neighborhoods

So what does all this mean for communities and neighborhoods? 

District 14 Councilman Paul Ridley asked about the legal relationship of growers using city-owned land for urban agriculture enterprises. 

“One of the mechanisms that’s been suggested for using city property would be to have a license, so it’s either a lessee or a licensee,” a city official said. “Those terms and conditions I would anticipate would be lined out in the underlying agreement.” 

Ridley said a license would be preferable and would give greater real estate rights. 

City leaders have experienced distrust from marginalized communities that have been left out of previous development plans, particularly below Interstate 30 in southern Dallas, Siebert said. 

In the case of an urban agriculture plan, such communities are prioritized, she added. 

District 11 Councilwoman Jaynie Schultz said a proposed platting requirement is cumbersome and possibly too onerous.

“I think having a [certificate of occupancy] holds the grower accountable,” she said. “We as a city need to know who is growing where, and they should present a plan for how they’re going to do it.” 

[Editor’s note: CandysDirt.com founder and publisher Candace Evans is running against Schultz in the May 6 election for the District 11 seat.]

Dallas Water Utilities Director Terry Lowery discussed how growers can connect to the city water system and apply for water conservation grants. 

Carlos Evans said conversations are ongoing about land and water, but they’re not yet at the point of evaluating fees for farmer’s markets. 

An initial engagement survey of about 700 people in Dallas city limits showed 71 percent of respondents were interested in farming on city-owned land. 

“When we asked them how the city should support urban agriculture, [they said] through land access and resources,” Siebert said. 

The products can be distributed to food banks, recreation centers, or sold for-profit, Siebert said. A mobile vendor permit is active for roadside produce stands, she added. 

“One of the metrics is to increase the local commercial food sourcing,” she said. “We are tracking by productive acreage, not by pounds of food. I don’t see there being restrictions. If they’re growing produce for profit, the restrictions operate by USDA Food Safety. If they’re a nonprofit, those restrictions would be by their nonprofit designation.”  

Buy Local Campaign

While discussions of urban agriculture typically bring to mind community gardens, there are other opportunities for those — nonprofit and for-profit — who wish to participate.

Backyard “micro-farms,” rooftop gardens, food as landscape, aquaponics, and hydroponics also are supported by the plan. 

“Our long-term goal is to facilitate connections between agricultural producers and food buyers in coordination with other city plans that are supporting a more sustainable food network,” said City Manager T.C. Broadnax. 

The plan also aims to prevent food waste through donations, recovery, diversion, and composting.

After increasing urban ag acreage and supply, Evans said, his department will then build market opportunities by implementing a “buy local campaign” and connecting producers to local buyers.

Environmental equity advocate Kathryn Bazan said Wednesday the plan has the potential to create transformative change for people who need food and grow food in Dallas.

“We do not have a resilient local food system in Dallas and we have not historically made it easy to start growing food, but with this comprehensive urban agriculture plan, we have one more tool to close the gap between families and their ability to access nutritious affordable food,” Bazan said.