Small-scale urban agriculture in northern Colorado
Date
2022
Authors
Owiny, James R., author
Gupta, Kalpana, advisor
McKenna, Kelly, advisor
Lynn, Stacy, committee member
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Abstract
Urban agriculture involves production, processing, and marketing of food and related products in urban and peri-urban areas for local consumption (Pearson et al., 2010). The purpose of my qualitative study was to explore urban agriculture in Northern Colorado using a phenomenological approach focusing on small producers. I interviewed four farmers from Larimer County, CO, with two to forty-seven years of urban agricultural experience. Farmers supplied representative photographs of their operations. The motivation for farming was self-interest, food, conventions, and income. Practitioners learned to farm through experimentation, formal, and informal approaches. Learning was experiential and self-directed. Participants experienced both challenges and rewards during farming. All the farmers would farm again with minimal changes to their current practice. This exploration highlighted urban agriculture's role in providing healthy food, fulfillment, and generating income despite challenges. The findings demonstrated a gap in utilization of educational resources within the community, which could have further improved the farmer's productivity. Examining the scope of urban agriculture would facilitate a needs analysis particularly for complementary adult education programs. Moreover, integration of small-scale urban agricultural production into the regional economic development plans and related business opportunities remains unexplored. Finally, it is critical to identify ways that local governments can support small producers through legislative and other tools.
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Subject
motivation
small-scale
urban farming
northern Colorado
education
urban agriculture