Farmland Protection | Food Systems

This article expands on the concept of “New Ruralism,” a development framework that links farmland preservation with residential development to reduce farmland conversion and low-density development and create planned agrarian-based rural suburbs that counteract sprawl. It discusses the current condition of farmland loss and reviews issues and challenges associated with farmland preservation with existing New Ruralism developments. The article ends by presenting a more comprehensive definition for New Ruralism, accompanied by recommendations for increasing farmland preservation opportunities in New Ruralism-based developments to maximize the economic, environmental, and cultural viability of such farmland preserves.