Building Community Support for Agriculture on the Urban Edge

Building Community Support for Agriculture on the Urban Edge

Summary

Objectives

1. Develop a participatory model for building a community coalition to support agricultural communities on the urban edge.
2. Examine the socio-economic and ecological components of sustainable agricultural landscape systems.
3. Increase public (farmer and consumer) knowledge and appreciation of the socio-economic and environmental benefits to the community of the agricultural landscape.
4. Disseminate lessons learned from this coalition-building approach to organizations and leaders that share a commitment to the future of urban edge agriculture.

Abstract

This project is located in the Skagit Valley of Northwestern Washington, an area where rich alluvial soils combine with a mild maritime climate to create a prime area for agricultural production. Increasing urban population and a widening gap between farmers and consumers threaten the agricultural economic base of the region. Prime farmland in the Skagit Valley is being lost at two to four times the rate of less productive agricultural land, and the number of acres in agricultural production has dropped from approximately 140,000 acres in 1960 to 90,000 acres in 1992.

The goal of this project is to build community support for agriculture by increasing communication and understanding between farm and non-farm residents of the Skagit Valley and the region. By increasing community members’ knowledge of agriculture and the economic and aesthetic benefits it provides, we can increase the long-term sustainability of the wider community, its landscape attributes, and its economic and agricultural bases.

Activities of the project include an agricultural speakers bureau to educate the public about the link between agriculture and community quality of life, a wildlife habitat assessment to learn how marginal areas of farmland provide for biological diversity, and a school program for grade school students and teachers to increase their awareness of the Skagit Valley’s rich agricultural presence and its value to the community and the region.

In 1999, the speakers bureau Core Team developed the organizational structure for the implementation and management of the speakers bureau. The speakers bureau now has 54 speakers who have been oriented and trained. To date, 22 presentations have been given, reaching approximately 300 people.

Claus Svendsen and students from the Environmental Conservation Program conducted wildlife habitat assessments in ten woodland sites adjacent to or surrounded by farm fields. A total of 14 species of small mammals were recorded, and five species of amphibians were observed. Habitat assessment data gathered includes a vegetation inventory and an inventory of snags and dead downed logs. This data is currently being analyzed to determine what components of an area offer the best habitat for wildlife.

The school program Core Team developed a set of goals to guide development of curriculum materials. A sub-group of three volunteers and one program staff developed a detailed curriculum outline to provide teachers with a framework for teaching fourth grade math, science, geography, history and language arts in the context of the Skagit Valley’s agricultural heritage. After approval by the Core Team, the outline was presented to the agricultural community for comment. Twelve agriculturists volunteered to assist in the next phases of the school program.

Celebrating Skagit Harvest: A Festival of Family Farms. On October 2, 1999 ten Skagit County farms opened their gates to the public for farm tours, food, children’s activities, educational displays and videos, music, and other activities. The goals of the event are to increase public understanding of agriculture and to improve good will between the farming and nonfarming communities. Celebrating Skagit Harvest offered consumers an opportunity to meet farmers, experience first hand what it feels like to be on a real working farm, and re-connect with the source of their food and fiber. A team of 22 volunteers and two program staff planned and organized the event, which was co-sponsored by WSU/Skagit County Cooperative Extension and Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland. Community businesses, organizations and Skagit County government contributed nearly $10,000 in cash and in-kind goods and services to help make the event a success.

Claus Svendsen and his students led wildlife habitat tours at one of the farms. Visitors learned about the mammals and amphibians in the woodland, and about the important elements of wildlife habitat. Educational displays included live animal residents of the woodland. This event was critical in providing information about the woodland study to the mostly urban population.

Educational displays with information about Skagit County agriculture were set up at three of the farms. One of the displays gave information about over 25 vegetable seed crops that are raised in Skagit County and sold to more than 33 countries around the world. Another display featured student paintings of local barns combined with the students’ quotes about how agriculture affects their lives. The third display discussed a local nitrate leaching study and farmers’ stewardship efforts through the use of fall-planted cover crops.

The October 2 farm open house was held in eight counties, and was coordinated by members of the Cascade Harvest Coalition. Statewide publicity contributed to the event’s success. Over two thousand people attended in Skagit County.

Potential Benefits or Impacts on Agriculture

The aim of this project is to enhance community understanding of how agriculture is integrated with the total quality of community life, including landscape, wildlife, open space, quality food, and economic viability. The potential benefit to agriculture of this project can be summed up in two quotes. The first quote is from a member of the WSU/Skagit County Cooperative Extension Advisory Committee. After hearing a presentation about the project she commented, Sharing the Skagit is so important for educating consumers. I had no idea what farming is all about until I began to hear about it through your program. The second quote is from Wendell Barry, who said, One of the growers’ best allies is an informed public.

Farmer Adoption and Direct Impact

The success of the Harvest Celebration is a direct outgrowth of other activities of this project. For example, 20 people signed up to be on the planning team. Many of these people are members of the speakers bureau. Also, ten farmers, many of whom are members of the speakers bureau, participated by opening their farms to the public. Through their association with the speakers bureau, these individuals are now extending or adopting methods of educating the public.

Reactions from Farmers and Ranchers

The efforts of this project to increase public understanding of agriculture and to improve good will between the farming and non-farming communities has captured the interest of the agricultural community, and is providing avenues for them to become involved in furthering these goals. This is evidenced by the following comment that was made by a retired farmer and one of the most respected leaders of the agricultural community. During a speakers bureau training session he commented, “I’m very impressed with the people you have involved in this…. people I haven’t seen in years are here…. people who have never been involved before in speaking for agriculture.”

Farmers understand the importance of communicating with the public, and building stronger relationships with consumers. This is demonstrated by comments from farmers who participated in the Harvest Celebration. One farmer commented, “The people who came (to Harvest Celebration) feel better about our farm. We gave them an inside look. There’s no way we can’t benefit from that.” Farmers are also realizing that consumers are very interested in what they do. After Harvest Celebration, several farmers commented on the kinds of questions people asked, and how interested they were in the knowing what is involved in making a living as a farmer. One farmer commented, “People seemed like they were starved for information. They asked lots of questions, and they didn’t want fluff. They wanted to know what crops we grow, how we plant, care for and harvest our crops.”

This summary was prepared by the project coordinator for the 2000 reporting cycle.

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