Great Lakes Urban Agriculture Working Group 2024 Achievements

The Great Lakes Urban Agriculture Working Group has been creating resources to support urban farmers. Whether starting a new urban farm or managing an existing plot with an insect or disease problem, you’ll find useful information from this group.

In 2024, the Great Lakes Urban Agriculture Working Group published 15 pest cards covering mammals and insects that cause issues when growing crops in urban areas. From groundhogs to cucumber beetles, these pest cards will help you prepare and solve pest problems to protect your profits. These cards are also available in Spanish. 

There’s a wide variety of size, crop and strategy within urban farms. To help urban farmers learn from each other, the Great Lakes Urban Agriculture Working Group has created virtual farm tours of farms in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Tours of three new farms were added in 2024, and each includes an introductory video. 

You can learn more about the Great Lakes Urban Agriculture Working Group in this webinar: “Urban Farm Resources Developed by the Great Lakes Urban Ag Working Group.” Team leaders Margaret Rivera and Dr. Laura Ingwell describe the variety within urban agriculture and the importance of supporting it, along with working group activities.

Each year, the working group holds an annual meeting, which is an excellent networking opportunity. Contact Margaret Rivera to get involved.