Abstract
Supporters of urban farming — a type of urban agriculture that emphasizes income generation — view it as a productive use of vacant land, increasing access to fresh produce and contributing to local economies. Yet its viability depends on gaining "community buy-in" (i.e., the acceptance and active support of local residents). While recognized as important to the success of socially oriented programs, information is lacking regarding effective processes for gaining community buy-in. Through participant observation at urban farms and interviews with urban farmers, neighborhood leaders, city residents, and key stakeholders in Baltimore, Maryland, we explored the perceived importance of community buy-in for urban farming, as well as the barriers, facilitators, and strategies for gaining such buy-in. Findings reveal consensus regarding the importance of buy-in, justified by farms' vulnerability to vandalism and the need to align farm services with local residents' desires. Barriers to buy-in include unfamiliarity of residents with urban farming, concerns about negative impacts on the neighborhood, and perceptions of urban farms as "outsider projects." Buy-in is facilitated by perceived benefits such as access to fresh produce, improvement of degraded lots, employment and educational opportunities, the creation of community centers, and community revitalization. Strategies urban farmers use to gain community support followed three main phases: (1) gaining entry into a neighborhood; (2) introducing the idea for an urban farm; and (3) engaging the neighborhood in the urban farm. We make recommendations based on these three phases to assist urban farmers in gaining community buy-in and discuss themes that can be applied to community buy-in processes more broadly.
Highlights
Urban farming is a type of urban agriculture that emphasizes income-generating agricultural activity
We first discuss our findings related to the importance of community buy-in for urban farming projects
While neighborhood leaders were most ardent in their views, with several emphasizing the importance of community buy-in to the viability of any new project or business that enters a neighborhood, other interviewees saw a specific need for urban farms to become “a part of the neighborhood” since farms are not traditionally located in cities
Summary
Urban farming is a type of urban agriculture that emphasizes income-generating agricultural activity. Unlike the more familiar community gardens, in which the growers consume their own produce, urban farms grow food for commercial distribution, selling produce through venues such as neighborhood farm stands, farmers markets, and restaurants. Public health practitioners, and local food advocates have promoted urban farming in many U.S cities, including Baltimore, Maryland, the site of this study. In Baltimore, this enthusiasm stems from concerns about an overabundance of vacant properties, a lack of access to healthy foods in many low-income neighborhoods, and high unemployment rates, three interrelated problems that urban farms are seen as addressing. Over a dozen urban farms have started in Baltimore since 2010, and while most reflect the efforts of individuals and community groups, the municipal government supports urban farming, including through an innovative initiative that leases vacant city-owned land to experienced farmers (Baltimore Office of Sustainability, n.d.)
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