Agroecological Assessment of Farming in the Rural-Urban Interface: Building Resilient Regional Food Systems PrincipalInvestigator

Farmland in urban-influenced regions produces the majority of vegetables and fruits grown in the U.S., yet rural-urban interface (RUI) farms are threatened by development pressure, climate change, economic conditions, and infrastructure loss (American_Farmland_Trust, 2007). Developing innovative marketing relationships and strategic policy alliances with urban consumers can potentially enhance farm viability. Community-led food system initiatives are designed to strengthen regional consumer-farmer linkages. Viable farms can increase local food production and access, enhance long-term food security, contribute to local economic development, and provide a wide range of ecosystem services. Clark County, with the sprawling city of Vancouver, offers a unique opportunity to investigate food system resilience at the farm level. This under-studied region hosts approximately 60 market and CSA farms. We propose to develop and pilot an on-farm sustainability assessment tool that includes indicators for social, environmental, agronomic and economic parameters through participatory field research with 20 direct market farms. Results will document the usage of BIOAg practices,