In 2010, El Monte was awarded funding from the State of California's Strategic Growth Council to establish an Urban Agriculture Initiative Program (UAIP), which was a one-year program that resulted in the development of a recommended list of action items for the City to achieve sustainable urban agriculture policies within the city. Over a 10 month period, BASE engaged city staff, non profit organizations, school districts and community members from across the city, seeking input on all aspects of urban agriculture from key issues and concerns, to needs, and potential solutions and strategies for action.
We helped the city draft the UAIP Report, as well as a guide for several issues the community wanted to develop. It included a guide to start farmers markets, edible schoolyards, community gardens, and recommendations on possible changes to city policies and ordinances (e.g. planting edibles in public spaces and creating a pollinator-friendly habitat).