Precision Urban Agriculture Initiative

The Precision Urban Agriculture Initiative

The Precision Urban Agriculture Initiative, led by the Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI) in partnership with Parallax Advanced Research, is a pioneering initiative launching a new era of urban agriculture in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. Funded through nearly $1 million in community project funding secured by Congresswoman Shontel Brown and supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, UFARM blends precision agriculture with sustainable community-based food systems to transform urban food deserts into productive hubs.

At its core, Precision Urban Agriculture leverages advanced technologies—drones equipped with sensors for soil moisture and crop health, robotics for rooftop and vertical farming, and AI-driven irrigation and nutrient management—to maximize yield, reduce waste, and enable efficient use of space in warehouse and rooftop environments. These high-tech tools are paired with low-tech community engagement: converting vacant lots into farms, training youth and local growers through hands-on STEM-education programs, and fostering collaborations with samplings of local initiatives like Hood Honey, Food Strong, and Rid-All Green Partnership. Precision Urban Agriculture is unfolding through a multi‑phase approach: starting with site selection and benchmarking, followed by deployment of smart farming systems, integrating community and educational engagement, and concluding with refining the model for replication in other cities. Recent farm visits conducted in communities across Mt. Pleasant, Coit Road, E. 65th, and Kinsman neighborhoods highlight how Precision Urban Agriculture supports local projects by providing precision irrigation bundles, bee‑monitoring kits, drone monitoring, and training materials—all tailored to strengthen food access while building local capacity.

Why Precision Urban Agriculture matters:

• Technological Innovation: Combines aerospace‑grade sensors, robotics, and AI to enable data‑driven, resource‑efficient urban farming.
• Community Empowerment: Partners with local growers to share not just produce, but knowledge and capacity through youth programs, workshops, and direct technical assistance.
• Social and Economic Impact: By addressing food desert challenges and revitalizing underused urban lots, UFARM promotes equitable food access, job creation, and community resilience-laying groundwork for scalable, sustainable urban farming across Ohio and beyond.