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Farming in the Suburbs, Sustaining Local Agriculture

Farmers in urban and suburban counties face unique challenges

By Zippy Duvall
Farm Bureau
June 15, 2022

Excerpt:

Farming and rural. Those words used to go hand in hand. And in most areas, they still do, but more and more farmers in every region of the country are finding themselves surrounded by suburban communities as our population grows. Farmers in urban and suburban counties face unique challenges, but they also have a unique set of opportunities and lessons we can glean from as we work together to strengthen agriculture.

Highways and houses have dramatically changed the landscape as urban centers spread. What doesn’t change with the landscape, however, is the farm spirit. I recently traveled to Connecticut where farmers have decades of practice farming in the middle of suburban sprawl. Every farmer I met there was committed to making their community better, whether they were just starting out or farming land that has been in the family for generations.

These farmers connect with consumers directly, as many of them sell straight to the customer or in a local market. Others have regular opportunities to share more about farm practices with their neighbors who look out on their fields from less than 100 yards away.

We can’t expect our neighbors, suburban or rural, to naturally understand the ins and outs of farming. Simply living next to a business doesn’t make you an expert, any more than living near a hospital makes you a doctor. That’s why building relationships and listening is so important. Being a good farmer starts with being a good neighbor, whether that be planting extra trees or helping prepare the soil for a neighbor’s home garden. Farmers in suburban and urban counties are on the frontlines of building bridges with consumers.

Read the complete article here.