International Journal of Business and Economics Research 2019; 8(6): 358-363 http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ijber doi: 10.11648/j.ijber.20190806.14 ISSN: 2328-7543 (Print); ISSN: 2328-756X (Online) Urban Agriculture: Where Urban Pressures Meet City Farmers Claire Elizabeth Haselhorst, Grace Lynn Baldwin, Robert Merton Stwalley III * Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA Email address: * Corresponding author To cite this article: Claire Elizabeth Haselhorst, Grace Lynn Baldwin, Robert Merton Stwalley III. Urban Agriculture: Where Urban Pressures Meet City Farmers. International Journal of Business and Economics Research. Vol. 8, No. 6, 2019, pp. 358-363. doi: 10.11648/j.ijber.20190806.14 Received: July 13, 2019; Accepted: September 19, 2019; Published: October 9, 2019 Abstract: As agrarian practices return to the urban space, a lack of understanding between the urban farmers and local city officials is stunting the development and economic sustainability of urban agriculture. Many promoters of urban agriculture fail to grasp the modern reality of operating a significant venture within a zoned municipal space. A failure to account for all potential stakeholders in the planning of these agricultural projects can cause unforeseen delays in execution and economic disaster. The needs of the agricultural installation must be balanced with the complexities of the city systems, and modern zoning procedures take multiple perspectives into account. There are numerous variables and considerations that must be evaluated in the creation of an urban farm that developers accustomed to working within the rural environment may not naturally include in their thinking. City planning and neighborhood integration must be addressed to ensure smooth geographic transition between the farming operation and further local real estate market development. The urban agricultural project developer will be required to demonstrate that the logistical needs of the enterprise can be accommodated within the existing infrastructure or be willing to upgrade the lacking requirement. Odor abatement and visual occlusion may be required. These complex elements of successfully installing an agricultural enterprise within an urban environment often frustrate successful project managers with agrarian backgrounds and cause them to pay minimal attention to the requirements of urban operation. Unfortunately, it can be clearly demonstrated that to do so is fraught with peril. Without thoughtful design, many urban agriculture efforts have slow growth, and the impact of these design failures on the progression of these enterprises is immense. Keywords: Community, Local Project Impact, Planning, Urban Agriculture, Zoning 1. Introduction The field of urban agriculture is quickly becoming a widely adopted method of food production in the global marketplace [1]. The use of this practice promotes economic growth, creates reliable, local food sources, and creates stability in local regions that are not food secure. Consumer demand for local, healthy produce continues to grow [2]. An increase in nearby food sources such as Farmers’ Markets has seen excellent growth in Indiana, which can been seen in figure 1. Twenty-five of the twenty-eight surveyed counties have increased the percent change of farmers’ markets by greater than 50% in the last seven years [3]. Though the positive effects of urban agriculture are quickly becoming apparent, the spread of this practice has been slowed or prevented in some instances by local problems. Particularly, the limits in the marketing, distribution capabilities, and public visibility stunt the growth of most local source agricultural production. These factors greatly limit the markets available to the smallholder farmers. The impact of these limited markets is causing the development of local food sources to be economically unsustainable. Additionally, the agricultural production conducted in urban spaces needs to consider the concerns of local stakeholders in the design process [4]. There are already many barriers to entry in the development of urban agriculture. Discourse between local producers at the 2016 Indiana Local Food Summit in Indianapolis alluded to this fact [5]. Many of the lead organizers of urban agricultural efforts voiced their struggles in development and operation, due to failures in their initial planning processes to account for urban constraints.