New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced that Qiana Mickie will serve as director of the newly-created Mayor’s Office of Urban Agriculture.
As director, Mickie will oversee the Adams administration’s efforts to strengthen, expand and support the city’s community gardens and urban farms. This is in alignment with the mayor’s plans and vision for a healthier, more sustainable and more equitable city.
“Making our cityscape greener isn’t just a slogan — it’s a centerpiece of our agenda,” said Mayor Adams. “Urban agriculture is a growing industry in our city that has the potential to expand the supply of healthy and locally grown food, create jobs, and make our city more resilient. Qiana brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this role, and as director of the new Office of Urban Agriculture, she will play an integral role in advancing my food and sustainability agenda.”
For the past 11 years, Mickie has worked at the intersection of equity, food systems, agriculture and resiliency. She is active in local and international policy issues such as food sovereignty, land tenure and health.
She previously served as the executive director of Just Food, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting New Yorkers struggling with food insecurity.
“As a lifelong New Yorker, I’m excited to bring my decades plus experience as a food and agriculture leader to the role, and I’m honored to establish the city’s first-ever Office of Urban Agriculture,” said Mayor’s Office of Urban Agriculture Director Qiana Mickie. “The creation of the office signifies the acknowledgement of the contributions of historic urban agriculture champions, as well as the breadth of knowledge in the current landscape of urban agriculture growers, producers, entrepreneurs, and land stewards. I’m energized to work with my fellow agencies such as the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice and, along with the mayor, to further integrate urban agriculture, climate resiliency, and equity into the fabric of our great city and food system.”
Other officials applauded Mayor Adams for creating the office and for instating Mickie as director.
“Our community gardens and urban farms are an increasingly important sector of our agricultural economy, helping to feed our underserved communities and providing an opportunity to connect the dots and ensure our communities understand more about the food system,” said New York State Department of Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball. “It’s an area the state is committed to investing in and is supporting in this year’s budget. I’m so pleased to see the mayor’s office’s dedication to advancing the city’s network of community gardens and urban farms in the city and that Qiana will be heading up the new Office of Urban Agriculture. Her expertise and passion for agriculture will help bridge the gap in this area and ensure more food for our communities.”
