Amidst a steady loss of farmers and farmland across the USA, consumers increasingly want to know where their food comes from. Even as the majority of vegetables, fruits, and nuts are grown in urban-influenced regions, we have... [ view full abstract ]
Amidst a steady loss of farmers and farmland across the USA, consumers increasingly want to know where their food comes from. Even as the majority of vegetables, fruits, and nuts are grown in urban-influenced regions, we have limited knowledge about the diverse farms serving local markets and the farmers’ adaptive strategies. An under-studied part of the Portland-Vancouver Metropolitan region, Clark County, Washington, exemplifies rapid urbanization, changing farmer demographics, and a diversity of farm types. Recognizing the growing food insecurity and intense development pressure, multi-stakeholder groups have formed to improve access to fresh food and protect farmland. To inform the allocation of scarce resources for supporting food-producers in this county, our investigation of food-system resilience documents farmers’ agroecological practices, socio-economic strategies, and vulnerabilities, along with farmer-recommended solutions to their perceived problems. This assessment of food farming in the rural-urban interface utilizes mixed methods to operationalize a transdisciplinary resilience framework based on principles of agroecology. Data collection included participant-observation in a broad spectrum of agriculture-focused activities (workshops, farm-tours, markets, conferences, etc.). After compiling a list of over 100 farms in this county that use direct-to-consumer market outlets, a diverse set of 23 vegetable and/or fruit producers were selected for in-depth, on-farm interviews and farming system assessments. Findings were utilized to develop a pilot agroecological assessment tool that can provide insight into what will be needed to retain and enhance local food production capacity for the long term in similar urbanizing regions. The Farm Resilience Assessment Tool (FRAT) numerically summarizes farm characteristics for 29 indicators in agronomic, economic, environmental, and social resilience categories. Results indicate crop diversity, conservation practices, and marketing mix, as strengths. The vulnerabilities include a lack of access to advanced farm-specific technical expertise, a lack of public policy support, and a need for more reliable and profitable market outlets. In-depth qualitative analysis of the semi-structured interviews elucidates farmers’ perceptions about the advantages, challenges, and uncertainties of farming amid urbanization and changing markets.
