A Feasibility Study for Urban Edge Agricultural Parks - SAGE

Farmworker Housing on the Rural/UrbanEdge• The land trust model presents an appealing and functional alternative to otherfarmworker housing models, and insures that housing will remain affordable tofarm families.• Federal funding is available for the development of affordable farmworkerhousing.3. Funding ResourcesThe Project identified funding resources, both public and private, that might beapplicable to the development of multifunctional AgParks.A host of mechanisms were identified that may be tapped to support one or moreaspects of the AgPark concept, including innovative private sector real estatedevelopment. For example, demographic trends and real estate research indicatethat a segment of homebuyers seek local open space and agriculture in their newhome locale, and value its scarcity. The concept of transferring the value achievedby offering agricultural proximity as a homesite amenity may have substantialpotential to fund AgPark concepts.Public funding includes support for farm family housing, farmland preservation,rural economic development, and farmer training and assistance. In addition,philanthropic and non–profit funding sources may be available to supportagriculture at the urban edge, including as training for new immigrants, organicproduction methods, adoption of new technologies, joint marketing, orfinancial/technical support to farmers unable to make an operating profit.Other resources that bear further investigation include park development andacquisition, environmental protection or enhancement, recreation and/or openspace development, and educational facility development.4. Identification of Producer’s LandAccess NeedsA key step in the process was to identify the potential interest from producers withlimited resources. Producers targeted for this research were traditionallydisadvantaged producers of specialty crops (e.g., includes most agriculturalproducts except commodity grain and livestock) whose primary livelihood isfarming. A secondary focus was on potential new farmers, whose lack of access toland is often a main obstacle to farm-entry.The Project conducted outreach through formal and informal groups of targetproducers as well as through organizations and institutions that serve them. A firstwave survey targeting producers was conducted through mailings, meetings, andon-line tools, to determine need for access to land, available resources, agriculturalDRAFT 1.6.05 3