Land Use in Relation to Urban Sprawl and Agriculture

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Land Use in Relation to Urban Sprawl and
Agriculture Created by Mindy Moore Georgia
Agriculture Education Curriculum Office July 2003
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Overview

• The Problem
• The Two Sides
• House-building Industry
• Farmers
• The Pros Cons
• Effects of Urban Sprawl on Agriculture
• Effects of Agriculture on Urban Sprawl
• Approaches to Settling the Problem

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The Problem

• Population Growth
• Urban Sprawl
• Loss of Agricultural Land and Farms

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Population Growth
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Population Growth
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Urban Sprawl
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Urban Sprawl
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Loss of Agricultural Land and Farms
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The Two-Sides

• This Land is My Land

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House-building Industry

• Shelter is a growing concern as the population
  increases.
• Agriculture land is suitable for development
  because it is
• Flat
• Well-drained
• More-affordable to developers

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Farmers

• Every minute 30 acres of forest and farmland are
  vanishing.

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Effects of Urban Sprawl on Agriculture

• Pros
• Larger pool of workers
• Off-farm employment
• New crops and markets
• Non-traditional industries

• Cons
• Loss of farmland
• Decline in the market of traditional products
• Decrease in crop yields

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Advantages
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Larger Pool of Workers

• Larger Pool of Workers
• Seasonal
• Part-time
• More Labor-Intensive Crops

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Off-Farm Employment

• Chance for off-farm employment increases.
• More financial support for the farm.
• 1999
• 90 of farm household income came from off-farm
  sources.

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New Crops and Markets

• Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
• Sold to local grocery stores and businesses.
• Roadside stands and U-pick operations.

• Other items and marketing ideas
• Homemade goods
• Recreational activities

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Non-traditional Markets

• In Georgia and the other southeastern states, the
  following industries are multi-million dollar
  businesses
• Ornamental Landscape
• Turfgrass
• Floriculture
• Pest Control
• Lawn Maintenance

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Disadvantages
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Loss of Farmland
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Decline in the Market of Traditional Products

• Decline in markets for

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Decrease in Crop Yields

• Decrease in crop yields due to

• Theft

• Vandalism

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Effects of Agriculture on Urban Sprawl

• Pros
• Aesthetically pleasing
• Safe atmosphere

• Cons
• Conflicts and complaints with the neighbors

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Benefits
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Aesthetically Pleasing
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Safe Atmosphere

• Away from cities.
• Concern for their children.
• Social, not economic.

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Drawbacks
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Conflicts and Complaints

• Complaints from the new neighbors.

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Approaches to Settling the Problem

• Preservation of farmland through
• Agricultural Protection Zoning
• Conservation Easements
• Protection Programs
• Other Methods
• Encouragement for small-scale farms in and near
  cities.
• Adoption of planning strategies.

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Agricultural Protection Zoning (APZ)

• Benefits
• Inexpensive
• Implemented quickly
• Easy to explain
• Flexible
• Reduces infrastructure costs

• Drawbacks
• Not permanent
• Reduces land values
• Difficult to enforce and monitor

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Conservation Easements

• The difference between fair market value and
  agricultural value.
• A written deed.
• More permanent protection.

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Protection Programs

• Varies from state to state.
• Federal Farmland Protection Program (FPP)
• -Established in the 1996 Farm Act.
• - Provide funding to state, local, and tribal
  entities with existing farmland protection
  programs for purchase of conservation easements
  or other interests.
• - Administered by the Commodity Credit
  Corporation.

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Other Methods

• Circuit Breaker Tax Relieves
• These relieves offer tax credits to offset
  farmers property tax bills.
• Differential Assessment Laws
• These laws direct local governments to assess
  agricultural land at its value for agriculture,
  instead of its full fair market value, which is
  generally higher.
• Right-to-Farm Ordinances
• A formal statement that agriculture is a
  valuable part of the county or town economy and
  culture.

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Encouragement for Small-Scale Farms

• 1997(Metropolitan farms)
• 1/3 of all farms
• 39 of farm assets
• 79 of dairy products
• 90 of the fruit crop
• 83 of the vegetables

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Adoption of Planning Strategies

• Cluster Zoning
• Comprehensive Planning
• Conservation Communities
• - Communities where farmland and subdivisions
  are paired together.
• Indiana, Minnesota, and Colorado
• Prairie Crossing in Grayslake, IL

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Prairie Crossing
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Final Thoughts

• Population growth and urban sprawl are causing
  commercial agriculture to be wedged out.
• There are bound to be conflicts as the two sides
  argue their case.
• For the benefit of America, the sides must work
  together and compromise.
• We must adjust to changing times and still hold
  to unchanging principles.- Jimmy Carter