** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** URBAN AGRICULTURE IS GROWING QUICKLY ACROSS THE U.S. TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE, YET IT IS LIMITED BY IRRIGATION WATER COSTS AND AVAILABILITY OF HIGH-QUALITY WATER. RAINWATER HARVESTING COULD PROVIDE RELIABLE, HIGH-QUALITY WATER FOR URBAN FARMS, YET THERE IS CURRENTLY LOW ADOPTION BECAUSE OF WATER QUALITY CONCERNS AND UNCERTAINTY ABOUT COSTS AND BENEFITS. HARVESTED RAINWATER TYPICALLY MEETS FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS BUT MAY REQUIRE FURTHER TREATMENT. ZERO-VALENT IRON (ZVI) SAND FILTERS CAN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE CONCENTRATION OF FECAL INDICATOR BACTERIA (EX. E. COLI AND TOTAL COLIFORMS) AS WELL AS FOODBORNE PATHOGENS (EX. SALMONELLA) IN WATER. DESPITE THESE PRIOR RESULTS, THE LACK OF ON-FARM VALIDATION STUDIES AND COMPREHENSIVE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSES HAVE IMPEDED WIDESPREAD RAINWATER HARVESTING ADOPTION IN URBAN AGRICULTURE. THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE NEED TO INCREASE RAINWATER HARVESTING IN URBAN AGRICULTURE TO PRODUCE SAFE AND NUTRITIOUS FOODS FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE'S STRESS ON WATER SOURCES. TO ADDRESS THESE CRITICAL CHALLENGES, WE WILL 1) DESIGN AND DEVELOP RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEMS THAT INCORPORATE SUSTAINABLE FILTRATION SYSTEMS AND TEST THE WATER AND PRODUCE GROWN WITH THAT WATER TO CONFIRM WATER QUALITY AND PRODUCE SAFETY; 2) EVALUATE ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC COSTS AND BENEFITS OF RAINWATER HARVESTING FOR PRODUCE IRRIGATION IN UNDERSERVED URBAN COMMUNITIES; AND 3) DEVELOP INNOVATIVE EXTENSION PROGRAMMING ON RAINWATER HARVESTING DESIGN, QUALITY, AND BENEFITS. OUR PROJECT WILL PROVIDE NEEDED INFORMATION TO URBAN FARMERS AND POLICYMAKERS ABOUT RAINWATER HARVESTING QUALITY AND BENEFITS AND IMPROVE OUR NATION'S AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SYSTEMS. OUR ULTIMATE GOALS ARE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF URBAN FARMS USING HARVESTED RAINWATER, THEREBY CONSERVING FRESHWATER RESOURCES, REDUCING STORMWATER RUNOFF, AND REDUCING FARM WATER COSTS.