The exact numbers aren't out yet, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture has singled out St. Louis as one of 17 cities to pilot a national urban agriculture program. "What the USDA has recognized now is that urban farming is a vital aspect for growth and providing food to the community," Tony White with Tony's Family Farms tells 5 On Your Side.
The goal for farmers like Tony and the USDA is to limit shipping produce across the country, lowering the product's carbon footprint and overhead cost.
Talking about his small watermelon and tomato farm, White tells 5 On Your Side, "the restaurants I serve are less than five miles away, so we're urban. There's not a long trip for the product to happen."
Farms like White's are the start of what the USDA would like to develop.
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