The Future of Food in Suburban Sprawl

Through CFJ's Farm to School work in Riverside County over the past 2 years we have been supporting small family farmers whose land is being continually threatened by development. Riverside County is one of the fastest growing counties in the country and has also historically been one of the leading agricultural counties in California. Unfortunately as the demand for affordable housing rises and the population increases, agricultural lands are being swallowed up by suburbs. Desert communities in Riverside County expect enormous population growth of 50% or more in just 5 years, and will add tens of thousands of new homes each year to meet housing needs. Faced with these grim statistics, it is hard to see a future for farm to school in a rapidly growing and agriculture-stifling county such as Riverside.

Teaching young people about the value of farming and connecting them to where their food comes from through farm to school is an excellent way to influence tomorrow’s decision makers. But for now, city and county master plans may be the key to whether farmland is protected or eradicated. Community organizing and mobilization around farmland preservation can be a powerful tool for influencing plans. If community support for local agriculture can’t be garnered, some farms have succeeded in being designated historical sites if they are located in an area with long agricultural history. If development is inevitable, then developed areas can also be utilized to grown fruits and vegetables.

Los Angeles’ South Central Farm serves as a model for the potential of urban food production. However, as its farmers engage in legal battles and face eviction, it also serves to demonstrate the need for green spaces to be city-owned and protected.  If city and county planners do not have the foresight to protect valuable agricultural lands surrounding urban areas, then they must be encouraged to provide urban (or suburban) spaces for people to meet, be active, and grow food.  Planned communities, such as those sprouting up all across Riverside, and the rest of the country, advertise themselves as utopian communities where families live and thrive. But as the rising rates of diet-related illnesses among adults and children help demonstrate, it is in no familiy’s best interest to pave over our connection to where our food comes from.