Advocacy and Policy
Throughout the Farming on the Urban Edge Conference Series, many concerns were expressed about the interaction of policy and farm business viability when farming on or near the urban edge.. The high value of peri-urban land, the proximity to new or different markets, and the proximity to the urban and often non-farmer community, provide peri-urban farmers with unique policy and regulation hurdles from rural or urban farmers. Areas of policy that were identified as impacting long-term success of peri-urban agriculture were:
1) Water rights and regulations
2) Regulatory restrictions of on-farm activity
3) Value-added production regulation
4) Lack in policies that incentivize transition, sale, and donation of peri-urban farmland to farmers
5) Lack of policy that discourages development on farmland
6) Non-agricultural zoning that interrupts contiguous farmland
6) Lack in policies that encourage more space-efficient, dense use of residential and commercial development
7) Lack of policy incentivizing voluntary reparations of farmland and startup capital for communities that have faced historical systemic oppression and discrimination
Areas where a stronger need for advocacy was identified:
1) More accurate and equitable sharing of responsibility regarding contributions to pollution
2) Working the importance of local food security into equations regarding land use planning
3) Public funds used to set aside peri-urban farmland for food security and beginning farmer land access
4) Public funds supporting purchase and/or transfer of development rights for peri-urban farmland
5) Realtor education programs enhancing understanding of farmer needs and farmland preservation options
6) Shifts in how farmland value is assessed to account for the long term economic, social, and ecological impact of agriculture near urban areas
See the NYFC Land Policy Report 2020 for further suggestions and key action items for policymakers informed directly from farmers.
Peri-Urban Advocacy/Policy Articles & Media
Future of Agriculture in Colorado Task Force: A Colorado Farm Bureau Project.
Published March 2020
“Throughout the Task Force’s deliberations on various aspects of agriculture and the rural economy, one idea consistently surfaced as a part of the discussion. This was the idea that Colorado’s urban and rural communities and their economies are intrinsically linked.”
Land Access for Direct Market Food Farmers in Oregon, USA by Horst, M. & Gwin, L.
Published June 2018
“Agricultural zoning as commonly practiced in Oregon may be necessary for conserving farmland, but it does not ensure access by direct market farmers.”
Farming Long Island (Film)
Published 2022
Ron Rudaitis is an Emmy-winning documentary producer from Huntington with a passion for agriculture and farmland preservation. Farming Long Island “is really about farming in suburbia," said Mr. Rudaitis.
The New Rural-Urban Interface. Volume 672, Issue 1: The New Rural-Urban Interface, July 2017 , pp. 6-301
Published July 2017
A series of articles on the topic of the Rural-Urban Interface. Useful for understanding the importance of creating a space in between the urban and rural that is socially, mentally, and environmentally impactful
The Cost of Community Services by American Farmland Trust
Published 1999
“Findings show that farms and forests in Skagit County are more than scenic landscapes – they are a positive economic investment in the community. This information will be useful to the county as intensifying growth pressures require thoughtful land use decisions.”
A Comprehensive Valuation of Agriculture Lands: A perpetual investment in Oregon's economy and environment by Brent Searle, Oregon Department of Agriculture
Published 2012
“While developers of farmland may benefit in the short-term, the cumulative cost to society grows.”
Cost of Community Services Study: Making the case for conservation by Julia Freedgood
Published 2002
‘COCS findings have been used to bring agriculture to the table in local planning decisions, to support farmland protection programs and to inform the smart growth debate by demonstrating the relative fiscal importance of privately owned working lands.’
Coexisting on the Edge: Meet the new Exurban by Randall Reid & Evangeline Linkous
Published April 2018
“It will not be planning tools alone but a culture that values the transitional fringe that will create more sustainable development patterns worldwide..”
Evaluating the Benefits of Peri-Urban Agriculture by Catherine Brinkley
Published August 2012
“The above literature review, however, points to more fine-grained land preservation policies with greater economic gains overall when synergies between farmland and nearby cities can be created for amenity generation. Namely, local and regional nonmarket values for residents, agritourism industries, and ecosystems services should be evaluated when considering conservation easement status..”
Peri-urban Agriculture: The Future on the Fringe by Sustain the Australian Food Network (Meeting Recording)
Published 2020
The urban fringe holds 50% of Australia's biodiversity and most urban water source, but land use decisions are jeopardising critical natural resources. What can we do to protect farming in the food bowl as demand for subdivisions and dwellings grows and climate change continues to take its toll?
The Integration of Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture into Planning by RUAF
Published July 2001
Highlights of various cities around the world that have successfully or unsuccessfully supported urban-peri-urban agriculture. Includes action plans for municipalities and planners according to historical and cultural issues of peri-urban and urban ag development by taking a historical look at the integration of urban ag into urban planning for several global cities.
Endogenizing the Planning Horizon in Urban Fringe Agriculture by Adesoji Adelaja, Kevin Sullivan, and Yohannes G. Hailu
Published May 2010
“The results suggest that the length of the planning horizon is directly related to farm profitability and confirm the impermanence syndrome hypothesis that land values are inversely related to the planning horizon.”
Planning Tools for Strategic Management of Peri-Urban Food Production by RICS
Published September 2016
“The results suggest that the length of the planning horizon is directly related to farm profitability and confirm the impermanence syndrome hypothesis that land values are inversely related to the planning horizon.”
As the city grows, what do farmers do? A systemic review of urban and peri-urban agriculture under rapid urban growth across the Global South by Alexander Follmann, Maximilian Willkomm, Peter Dannenberg
Published 2021
“These findings indicate a complex, multi-dimensional challenge for planners and policy makers seeking to manage UPA in rapidly urbanizing landscapes. Yet, our meta-analysis shows that few studies holistically address spatiotemporal dynamics, intra-urban variations, and complex multi-dimensional inter-linkages of UPA under urban growth.”
Advocacy Network
GRAIN
GRAIN's contribution takes the form of research, information and outreach work. We also support the struggles of different civil society organisations against corporate land deals, especially in Asia and Africa. We do so mainly through capacity building, strategy development and alliance building together with partners that aim to turn the tide.
Oakland Institute
The Oakland Institute is a leading voice on land rights issues, working on the front line of the struggle to defend land rights, uncovering the drivers, the actors, and the impacts of land grabbing around the world. Through research, policy analysis, and advocacy campaigns, we work directly with communities to defend their land rights when threatened by governments, private corporations, and international development institutions. On the policy level, the Institute produces research and evidence that promote tenure systems, which ensure the land rights of communities, Indigenous Peoples, farmers, and pastoralists.
Agriculture in the Middle
Partnering with values-based food supply chains can potentially keep small and mid-sized farms in business and support vibrant rural economies. When they are paid a fair price for their products, farmers can pay themselves and their workers a fair wage and prioritize the environment. A healthy Agriculture of the Middle is made of many small and mid-sized farmers, processors and distributors across the country. Together, they support a diverse, regional and resilient agriculture. The Agriculture of the Middle initiative supports research, education and policy strategies that keep farmers and ranchers on the land. The initiative is supported as a Multistate Research Project through USDA. It brings together practitioners, researchers and activists to explore questions that arise in our efforts to transform agriculture and our food systems. Agriculture of the Middle projects create strategic alliances among farmers, processors, distributors and retailers to reach consumers who care about the impacts of their food purchases.
UC Davis Center for Regional Change
UC Davis Center for Region Change is led by Dr. Catherine Brinkley. Catherine is an associate Professor in Human Ecology, Community and Regional Development in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Catherine has written several publications on the benefits of preserving agriculture on the urban fringe, recentering the commons, food system planning, successful planning policies, community-based solutions, and how land and agriculture are economically devalued against land development for other urban interests.
Long Island Farm Bureau
The Long Island Farm Bureau is a non-governmental, volunteer organization financed and controlled by members for the purpose of solving economic and public policy issues challenging the agricultural industry. The mission is to “Serve and Strengthen” agriculture on Long Island.
Western Center for Metropolitan Extension and Research
The Western Center for Metropolitan Extension and Research (WCMER) is a multi-university collaboration established by the Western Extension Directors Association to: increase the internal capacity of Western Extension programs to address metropolitan issues, and to, elevate the stature and value of Cooperative Extension to external metropolitan audiences. Since WCMER’s founding in 2014 we have focused our efforts on applied research on best Extension practices and issues facing metropolitan areas, and professional development for Extension professionals, with a goal of better aligning programs and program delivery with the needs, issues and interest of their metropolitan constituency.
Farmland Information Center by NRCS & AFT
The Farmland Information Center is a learning center for people working to save farm and ranch land. The FIC is a project of American Farmland Trust maintained on behalf of and with support from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. The FIC is authorized by the federal Farmland Protection Policy Act (FPPA), the first federal law to address the loss of productive agricultural land to non-farm development. The purpose of the FPPA is to minimize the extent to which federal programs contribute to the unnecessary conversion of farmland to nonagricultural uses. It also directs the Secretary of Agriculture to “…designate one or more farmland information centers to serve as central depositories and distribution points for information on farmland issues, policies, programs, technical principles, and innovative actions or proposals by local and State governments.” AFT and NRCS have worked together since 1994 to fulfill this requirement.
1000 Friends of Oregon
Our mission is working with Oregonians to enhance our quality of life by building livable urban and rural communities, protecting family farms and forests, and conserving natural areas. Since 1974 we have carried forth the great work of Governor Tom McCall to protect Oregon’s unique land use planning program. We take a pragmatic, business-focused approach to mission success using the tools embedded in the 19 statewide land use goals to promote livability in every city and town so that we may effectively protect our working farms, forests, ranches, and vast network of interconnected natural areas. We accomplish this by engaging in community collaboration, education, and outreach in all 36 Oregon counties.
Farm Legal Action Group
Farmers’ Legal Action Group (FLAG) is a nonprofit law center dedicated to providing legal services and support to family farmers and their communities in order to help keep family farmers on the land.
Helpful Documents for Farmers
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Land for Good Toolbox
Browse our Land Access Toolboxes to get outfitted with resources to learn about and take action on farmland access, tenure and transfer issues. Whatever your situation, taking a minute to find the right tools can help you take next steps. Read More
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Landowners Guide to Washington Water Rights (3rd Edition/2019)
This handbook was developed to provide basic tools for understanding Washington water rights. If you own land with water rights, want to buy or sell land with water rights, or want to transfer water rights, this handbook can help you become more knowledgeable. Water rights are confusing and there is a great deal of misinformation surrounding them—all of which has caused a variety of Washington landowners considerable difficulty and disappointment. Read More
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NYFC Western Water Training
NYFC’s Western Water Trainings help ensure that young farmers have the resources to understand their water rights, engage in meaningful conservation, and enter roles of water leadership. NYFC convenes local water experts in Western states to dig into Prior Appropriation, unpack the myths and realities behind “Use it or lose it,” weave through Colorado River Basin policy and interstate compacts, discuss conservation and efficiency financing, and more. Read More
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Integrating Safety into Agritourism
Agritourism continues to grow in popularity, with over 70 million people visiting farms each year – and almost 24 million of these visitors are children. Whatever the reason for the visit, it is up to the farmers who invite visitors onto their farms to ensure the safety and health of their visitors. Implementing appropriate safety strategies can help reduce visitor injuries and illnesses, potentially reducing liability. This website provides the tools and resources farmers need to help keep their visitors safe. Use these walkthroughs, checklists and resources to implement safety best practices. It’s easy and fun. Read More
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Farm Commons
Farm Commons provides legal workshops, timely resources, and a community for farmers, ranchers, and their service providers. Welcome to your home for farm law! Find answers to your farm law questions in our library. Browse our many pathways for guidance to the exact resource you need to move forward. Some areas of topic covered in the resource library are: business structure; insurance liability; food safety; diversification; fences, boundaries, and neighbors. Read More
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Beyond Fresh and Direct: Connections
Many specialty food manufacturers are sourcing ingredients from small and mid-sized farms. But how do manufacturers and farms find each other and how are the matches made? What can manufacturers and farmers do to make and maintain a good relationship? This fact sheet provides you with insights and recommendations. Read More
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Beyond Fresh and Direction: Criteria
When considering alternative outlets for your products, supplying specialty food manufacturers may be an attractive option. Knowing what to expect when working with specialty food manufacturers will help you determine if it is the right fit for you and what changes you might need to make. This fact sheet highlights common requirements/criteria that specialty food manufacturers look for in the ingredients they purchase and the suppliers they work with. Read More
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NYFC Farm Service Agency Loans
This guidebook was written to explain how FSA programs can be accessed by small-scale, diversified farmers, including those who are growing organically, farming in urban environments, marketing through CSAs, or exploring non-traditional growing practices like aquaponics or rooftop agriculture. We want you to understand the benefits and the costs of FSA loans and all of the options available to you. This book also stands as a guide to equip young farmers, both conventional and those outside the box, with knowledge that will help them navigate this sometimes daunting system and avoid the pitfalls that might occur. Read More
Add to the Database
We try our hardest to keep up to date with the latest research on peri-urban agriculture and initiatives working to solve some of the problems associated with urbanization.
If we missed something, please let us know!