Reps. Cleaver, Davids Announce $6,469,000 in Federal Funding Awarded to Cultivate KC to Advance Conservation and Climate-Smart Agriculture in Kansas City

"Advances in urban agriculture are essential in our work to strengthen conservation efforts, expand sustainable farming, and combat the ongoing climate crisis," said Congressman Cleaver. "With this federal investment, made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration's Inflation Reduction Act, Kansas City and Cultivate KC continue to make clear that we are leading the nation when it comes to innovative solutions that are critical to maintaining our precious natural resources while supporting local producers. I'm proud to have helped make this funding possible, and I look forward to the benefits our entire region will receive thanks to this public-private partnership."

"Investments in our region's agriculture are crucial in combating climate change, lowering costs for producers and consumers, and ensuring all Kansans have access to good, quality food," said Rep Davids. "I'm thrilled to see this award made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act come home to support Cultivate KC's innovative work advancing urban agriculture in our community and am proud to have voted to make this additional funding possible."

Cultivate KC aims to leverage the federal funding to permanently protect five parcels of significant urban and peri-urban farmland that face intense development pressure. Additionally, the federal grant will help to address the unique natural resource concerns-including lack of weather resilience, soil quality limitations, degraded plant conditions, pest pressures, and more-experienced by urban and innovative producers in the Kansas City metropolitan area using strategic easement acquisitions and newfound conservation practices.

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. In total, the Inflation Reduction Act provides $19.5 billion to support USDA's oversubscribed conservation programs, including $4.95 billion for RCPP.