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    2026 Urban Ag Week

    From Erie to Philadelphia, this year’s Urban Agriculture Week took us on a statewide tour celebrating the power of growing food where it was needed most. Across Pennsylvania, we visited innovative urban agriculture projects that tackled food insecurity, enhanced community well-being, and created economic opportunity in our cities. Along the way, we highlighted the partnerships, investments, and local leaders helping expand access to fresh, healthy food while strengthening neighborhoods and building a more resilient agricultural future for all Pennsylvanians.

    2026 Urban Ag Week

    Day 1 - Erie

    Minority Community Investment Coalition/Grow Erie - By introducing high-technology controlled environment agriculture — through aquaponics and hydroponics — and promoting neighborhood revitalization on Erie’s eastside, the Minority Community Investment Coalition’s (MCIC) Grow Erie project will create sustainable income to reinvest in high-need neighborhoods, provide employment opportunities to low-income residents, and bring a source of locally grown food to a USDA-designated food desert.

     

    Groundwork Erie - Through the planting and maintaining of a variety of produces and herbs at the 4th Street Community Farm, Groundwork Erie is working toward a city where everyone can find affordable, healthy, and locally-grown produce.

     

    Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Network Farm and Market - Advocating for personal growth and neighborhood revitalization, the Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Network uses agriculture to bring its community together through community gardens, an urban farm, and their Little Italy Farmers Market.

    Day 2 - Pittsburgh

    Soil Sisters Plant Nursery - Sisters Raynise and TaRay Kelly are dedicated to ending food apartheid by providing fresh produce and seedlings to derserving local communities. Each plant is personally nurtured and cared for by the Kelly sisters.

     

    Hilltop Urban Farm - A multi-pronged initiative that produces locally-grown crops, provides agriculture-based education, generates entrepreneurial opportunities, and strengthens communities.

     

    Oasis Farm - Nestled in Pittsburgh's historic Homewood neighborhood, Oasis Farm works to create a sustainable, accessible food system while fostering community resilience and empowering the next generation.

    Day 3 - North Central PA

    Salvation Army Community Garden & Urban Farm - Besides adding beautification to the local neighborhood, the Williamsport Salvation Army Community Garden and Urban Farm offers educational opportunities, produce for food pantries and soup kitchens, and increased long term, tangible solutions to poverty.

     

    Trinity Episcopal Garden - A community garden operated by the Trinity Episcopal Church in Williamsport, church members and local community member grow and maintain flowers and vegetables. The garden serves to beautify the local neighborhood, offer education, and provide food for people who need the extra help.

     

    The Potting Bench - From lush plants to delicious ice cream, the Potting Bench Greenhouse and Market serves as a one-stop destination for finds of every season.

     

    Shamokin Community Gardens & Pocket Parks - Created after a community-wide workshop centered on revitalizing the city, the Shamokin Community Gardens serve as a space a place for people to connect with nature, grow food and enjoy outdoor spaces, but also serve as a means to address food insecurity and sustainability.

    Day 4 - Philadelphia

    The Community Grocer - Started on the belief that everyone deserves access to fresh, delicious food in their own neighborhood, the Community Grocer makes eating well easier for all by reinventing the corner store and reimagining nutritional assistance.

     

    Black Girls with Green Thumbs – Gardeners Without Borders Program - By fostering civic engagement and entrepreneurial thinking in communities most impacted by systemic inequities and violence, Gardeners Without Borders aims to grow safer, stronger, and more sustainable neighborhoods—one garden at a time.

     

    New Kensington Community Development Corporation Tusculum Gardens & Ruth Street Garden - Growing community wellbeing, NKCDC’s Urban Agriculture and Community Garden initiative aims to improve health outcomes for residents, increase sustainable land sovereignty and food production, and reduce instances of violence. 

     

    Sanctuary Farm Philly - Sowing the seeds of health community, and sustainability, Sanctuary Farm Phila is a non-profit organization and urban farm dedicated to providing fresh, organically grown produce and implementing programs that enhance the health and well-being of Philadelphia's residents.

     

    Strawberry Mansion Green Resource Center - In close collaboration with community partners, the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society (PHS) operates five Green Resource Centers (GRCs).  The GRCs are local community hubs where PHS propagates and distributes thousands of organic vegetable seedlings for community gardens and production sites enrolled in our programs.

    Day 5 - Lancaster

    Lancaster Recreation Bay Street Garden - Nestled in the heart of the West Lancaster Jewels neighborhood, the Bay Street Community Garden serves to strengthen food access, environmental sustainability, and neighborhood engagement in a high-need city area.