The City of Phoenix announced Thursday that it would increase its funding to protect urban farmland from development projects.
“We are very excited that this Program will receive double the funding this year to conserve more vital urban farms within Phoenix,” said Rosanne Albright, environmental programs coordinator for the City of Phoenix.
In June 2021, the Phoenix City Council approved $1 million for the Farmland Preservation Program (FPP) as part of the Phoenix Resilient Food System Program. The program seeks to achieve healthy food for all and a long-term resilient system by conserving agricultural property within the city limits. The city appointed the Central Arizona Land Trust (CALT) as the program’s administrator.
As part of the new investment, the city set aside an additional $2 million to continue protecting farmlands within Phoenix.
Thanks to @Stevenielsen for showing why #urbanfarming is so important.
There is now more money available in the Farmland Preservation Program that will prevent local farms from being lost to development.
STORY: https://t.co/8ZgJuuqOOl@FOX10Phoenix
— PHXenvironment (@PHXenvironment) September 16, 2022
“We are grateful that the city of Phoenix continues to recognize the importance of maintaining working lands and prioritizes conserving our local farms and food supply,” CALT Board President Becky Ruffner said.
One success story to come from the program so far is Maya’s Farm. Located near 32nd Street and Southern Avenue, this family farm owned by Maya Dailey produces vegetables, herbs, flowers, and eggs for local markets, restaurants, and schools. What started as a quarter-acre garden grew to over seven acres and has become permanently protected from development projects through CALT.
The protection is accomplished through a conservation easement. These easements are voluntary contractual relationships between a land trust, CALT, and a landowner in which the owner sells or donates their development rights while still owning the land. The purpose is to preserve land for outdoor recreation and education or to protect natural habitats for wildlife. The owner can receive between 60 to 80 percent of the full sale value of the property based on an appraisal. Conservation easements also bind all future owners of the property, so Maya’s Farm will always remain a place of agricultural production or open space.
CALT will use the provided funds to engage with other farmland owners and create more conversation easements. The city pays for 75 percent of an easement, while CALTÂ raises the rest of the funds.
As reported by Fox10Phoenix.com, Arizona’s housing crisis has caused competition for urban farmers trying to make produce in the area.
Rodney Machokoto, a local accountant by trade, has reportedly tried and failed to keep land for farming in the Phoenix area. He currently grows tomatoes for local food banks on a quarter-acre of land at Spaces of Opportunity, but was previously twice kicked off of land he was trying to produce from because the owner chose to develop it. Machokoto called urban farming the life support of a city.
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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Phoenix Farmland” by Maya’s Farm.
