(AGENPARL) – mar 19 marzo 2024 Issued: Mar 19, 2024 (3:07pm EDT)
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EPA digs into Charlottesville Urban Garden during National Agriculture Week
PHILADELPHIA (March 19, 2024) – Today,?the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz and
Charlottesville Mayor Juandiego Wade marked National Agriculture Week by
visiting Charlottesville High School’s urban garden to learn from students
about their sustainable agriculture practices and impact on the
Charlottesville, Virginia community.? 
During this visit, Ortiz and Wade engaged with students, CHS staff, and
community members to explore the garden and learn about its impact on
promoting environmental sustainability and addressing food equity in the local
community. 
“The Charlottesville High School urban garden exemplifies the strength of
aligning education, community involvement and environmental stewardship for a
brighter, cleaner future,”?said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator
Adam Ortiz. “Witnessing the students’ passion and commitment to building a
resilient, sustainable and equitable community highlights the power these
initiatives have in inspiring the next generation of leaders in agriculture
and environmental conservation.” 
Ortiz spoke with the students about the agriculture community’s vital role as
the backbone of the nation. He shared that local initiatives like the urban
garden help contribute to clean air and water, while also helping farmers
overcome extreme weather challenges for stronger food systems and healthier,
more resilient communities. 
The leaders also recognized the students and the Urban Farming Program faculty
for their focus on entrepreneurship, environmentally friendly practices and
food security, as evidenced by their annual contributions of?up to 2,000
pounds of produce?to the community. 
“It was such an incredible opportunity to have Adam Ortiz visit CHS’s
urban garden and witness the students’ commitment to the protection and
success of urban agriculture as an important climate adaptation and resilience
strategy,” said Charlottesville Mayor Juandiego Wade. “A sustainable and
food-secure future starts with our youth and that is evident based on the
involvement and hard work of the students right here in Charlottesville.” 
This visit also allowed Ortiz and Wade to meet with leaders from Cultivate
Charlottesville, a non-profit organization that helps manage the urban
gardens, to talk about their role in using the garden’s produce to increase
accessibility to healthy foods and create environmental resilience in
underserved sections of the Charlottesville community. 
“We are honored to welcome the EPA and Mayor Wade to our school to witness
firsthand the incredible work being done in our urban garden,” said
Charlottesville High School Interim Principal Kenneth Leatherwood. “Our staff
and students are doing great work, and we want our students to fully
understand what the EPA does to help the agriculture community.”  
The EPA is committed to raising awareness about sustainable agriculture
practices for continued environmental stewardship through continued
environmental education and outreach engagements.  
Visit the EPA’s website for more information on Urban Agriculture.  
Visit the Charlottesville High School Urban Farming website for more
information.   
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