Sustainable Soil Resource Management and Produce Marketing on Resource-limited Urban Farms

View the project final report

Commodities

Practices

• Crop Production: cover crops
• Education and Training: farmer to farmer
• Soil Management: composting, soil quality/health
• Sustainable Communities: local and regional food systems, urban agriculture, food access and security

The Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex contains some of the nation’s highest concentrations of food deserts, where limited access to fresh food, low household income, restricted transportation, and the legacy of outward migration have resulted in widespread vacant and underutilized land. Urban agriculture offers a promising strategy for improving food access, generating local economic opportunity, and strengthening community resilience. Early engagement activities with local farmers and community partners identified three critical barriers to expanding sustainable urban farming in resource-limited areas of southeast Fort Worth: (1) the need for low-cost, locally accessible soil-management strategies; (2) improved market access and financially viable pricing models; and (3) tools to help growers identify suitable land for production. This project addressed these barriers through four integrated objectives.

Objective 1 produced a high-resolution, interactive mapping tool that identifies and rates vacant lots in SE Fort Worth for urban crop production using zoning, slope, flood risk, soil characteristics, and infrastructure proximity. The analysis identified 15.5 km² (3,835 acres) of land exceeding the minimum 445 m² (0.11 acre) threshold for viable production, with 98% rated as moderately or highly suitable, providing a foundational resource for site selection by prospective growers, nonprofits, and community organizations.

Objective 2 evaluated food-waste compost and legume cover crops as low-cost soil-amendment strategies through a two-year, on-farm study (2023–2024) involving monthly soil sampling, tomato yield measurements, and drone-based NDVI monitoring. While early challenges required discontinuation of two participating farms, the consolidated research site demonstrated measurable treatment effects. Compost and cover-crop combinations improved vegetation vigor, moderated seasonal stress, and influenced soil pH and nutrient dynamics. Yield patterns suggest that amendments can be tailored to optimize plant performance in urban soils, informing future site-specific fertility recommendations.

Objective 3 employed mixed methods—including farmer interviews (n=8), customer surveys (n=44), market assessments (n=39), and community conversations—to evaluate the feasibility of a 75:25 (for-profit : non-profit) sales model. Findings highlight the diversity of farm business structures in the region, strong consumer interest in fresh and local produce, persistent cost and accessibility barriers for low-income households, and operational constraints that limit uniform adoption of tiered-pricing models. The results provide actionable insights for socially driven farmers and market organizers seeking to balance mission with economic sustainability.

Objective 4 originally aimed to produce a new toolkit integrating project findings. However, given the availability of a recently published urban farming manual authored by project Co-PIs, efforts shifted toward youth outreach and agricultural workforce development. Across 2023–2025, the project engaged 13 middle- and high-school studentsthrough hands-on farm experiences, research internships, and training in soil analysis, data interpretation, and drone imagery. Two high-school interns and two graduate assistants presented project-related research posters at the 2025 SSARE-sponsored SPI Conference, advancing SARE’s long-term goal of cultivating future agricultural leaders.

Collectively, this project provides a replicable framework for urban-agriculture development in resource-limited communities by generating actionable land-suitability tools, low-cost soil-management insights, market-informed strategies, and youth-centered pathways into sustainable agriculture.

The proposed project will address farmer-identified barriers to sustainable tomato production on resource-limited urban farm (in the study area) via four specific objectives;