Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, kicked off the Shapiro Administration’s 2026 Urban Agriculture Tour today in Erie at Minority Community Investment Coalition (MCIC). A $130,000 Pennsylvania Agricultural Innovation Grant is supporting MCIC’s high-tech greenhouse project to boost local food production and alleviate effects of urban poverty during a time when federal food assistance cuts are increasingly challenging Pennsylvania’s efforts to combat food insecurity.
"Every year, the Urban Agriculture Tour is an eye-opening look at how increasing access to fresh food is improving lives in cities across Pennsylvania, “Secretary Redding said. “But it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. The Shapiro Administration is committed to supporting partnerships with innovative problem-solvers like MCIC and Grow Erie who know their communities inside and out. This approach to public investment helps communities tackle the impacts of poverty and hunger with solutions that fit their community.”
MCIC’s funded project is using aquaponics and hydroponics in partnership with Grow Erie. Together, they are transforming a vacant lot in Erie’s poorest zip code into an oasis of sustainable income and job opportunities, and a source of locally grown food in a USDA-designated food desert.
Today’s tour stops also included Groundwork Erie’s 4th Street Community Farm, where a 2025-26 Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant of $2,214 is supporting greenhouse irrigation and ventilation, increasing fresh food availability for the surrounding neighborhood.
Source : pa.gov