Every day across the United States, 2,000 acres of farmland are lost or threatened by commercial and residential development. The farmland being lost the quickest also happens to be the most productive with healthy soil and water access, the most versatile, and the most resilient.
As the fourth largest and second fastest-growing county in the country, Maricopa County is no exception to this alarming trend. We are losing prime farmland from small-medium local growers due to urban sprawl and development growth at a rapid rate. Local farms that feed the community, provide jobs, preserve green space, provide heat mitigation, promote valuable biodiversity, and offer educational and agrotourism opportunities are at immediate risk of land loss.
And, they’re running out of places to go.
This is where the Coalition, and YOU, come in.
The Coalition for Farmland Preservation (CFP) is working to keep Maricopa County farmers farming by securing and locating land for local farmers who are vulnerable to development or have recently been displaced.
The CFP is developing a multi-pronged approach to preserving Maricopa farmland as a model that can then be replicated in other counties statewide. The Coalition is also building a comprehensive approach to urban farmland preservation through policies, planning, incentives, and creative partnerships.
Would you like to be part of the CFP’s efforts and show local producers that we value them and recognize the crucial role that they play in providing a healthy, equitable, and resilient food system? Then, join us!
2022 Harvest Report
What has the Coalition for Farmland Preservation accomplished in 2022?
As rapid development continues across Arizona, and Maricopa County was recently announced by American Farmland Trust as the number one county in the nation for loss of farmland, the Coalition for Farmland Preservation has doubled down on advocacy work, public outreach, and most importantly – preserving our farms!
Through transformative partnerships, initiatives, and collaborations, the Coalition has provided valuable support to our local producers and leveraged innovative ways to build a truly resilient and equitable localized food system.
Learn more about our critical accomplishments by reading our 2022 Harvest Report.
How to Directly Support Our Local Farmers
There are things we can do now and every day to support our local farmers and growers. By doing so, we are saying that we value our local farmers and want them to stay here. Act, Influence, Support:
Visit a local farmers market. You can find one near you: here
Buy Arizona Grown in stores
Frequent businesses and restaurants that source and use local food and produce
Contact your local City Mayor and Council and/or Maricopa County Supervisors and voice your concern about farmland loss or any specific issue that you see
Learn more about our local food system by watching the Good Food Film Series
Sign up for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Find farms and CSA programs here
Join the Good Food movement: check out our blog and sign up for our food newsletters
Find and attend upcoming local food events: here
Get the latest food news. Follow Good Food Finder on social media: Instagram: @goodfoodfinderaz and Good Food Finder on Facebook
In the News
Family farms made Phoenix livable, so why are so many going away? | AZ Central | February 2019 | Read it here
Is this Phoenix farm being relocated to make way for a sewage plant? Here's what we know | AZ Central | July 2020 | Read it here
Urban Farms Have the Potential to Transform Phoenix | Phoenix New Times | April 2020 | Read it here
'A raging crisis': Metro Phoenix is losing its family farms and local food sources | AZ Central | August 2020 | Read it here
Arizona farmers having trouble finding, keeping land | ABC 15 | December 2020 | Watch here
Farmland is disappearing in Maricopa County; meet the coalition working to save it | ABC 15 | December 2020 | Watch here
While Struggling During Pandemic, Arizona Farmers Face Threat Of Losing Their Land | KJZZ | January 2021| Listen here
Litchfield Park farm's future up in the air after developer buys leased land | AZ Family | March 2021 | Read it here
Blue Sky Organic Farm leases 40 acres to replace land it’s losing to Fulton Homes | Daily Independent | June 2021 | Read it here
Schnepf Farms sells 13 acres of land in Queen Creek to build rental homes | ABC 15 | February 2022 | Read it here
As homes move in, a rural West Valley community feels pushed out | ABC 15 | May 2022 | Watch and Read it here
Grant to Help UofA Researchers Address Farming in a Drying Climate | Arizona Daily Star | March 2023 | Read it here
Support for locally grown food is high. Here's why land in Phoenix is scarce for the growers | AZ Central | December 2023 | Read it here
The Coalition for Farmland Preservation is made possible by the 2020 Spark Grant from the Vitalyst Health Foundation. Vitalyst Health Foundation is a Phoenix-based public foundation focused on improving well-being in Arizona by addressing root causes and broader issues that affect health. For additional information, please visit www.VitalystHealth.org.
