Small Farm Sustainability in the Southwest

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Abstract

In spite of continued and growing consumer interest in local foods, many small-scale farmers face considerable challenges maintaining a livelihood in farming. This pattern has been well-documented in the Midwest, Northeast, and California, but regional barriers to and facilitators of farming in the Southwest—an area with unique geographic, climatic, and other factors influencing agriculture—remain largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to ascertain challenges, opportunities, and best practices for small-scale farming in the Southwest region of the United States, specifically Arizona and New Mexico. Twenty farmers were interviewed about their farming experiences across states using a semi-structured questionnaire that probed motivations for, and challenges and barriers to, farming in the Southwest. Demographic data about the farmers and their farms were also collected. Results reflected a number of themes identified in other studies focused on small-scale agriculture, such as high financial costs associated with farming, challenges related to labor, and the need for consistent and better market outlets. However, themes also arose that reflected potentially unique aspects of farming in this region of the country. These included the need for reliable and sufficient water, challenges related to water and land quality, and concerns about access to affordable land for maintaining or growing operations. Among the sample represented in this study, small-scale farming in the Southwest both reflects the myriad challenges farmers can face elsewhere in the country, but also presents potentially distinct challenges as well. These factors should be considered together when exploring opportunities for local farm and food systems both in terms of research and application.