Farms

An Agrihood Takes Root in Palm Springs
Developer Freehold Communities is planning a suburban farming community in California's Sonora Desert.

Farmland Preservation a Hot Topic in Idaho's Most Populous County
As the city of Boise and surrounding communities in Ada County, Idaho continue to grow and sprawl outward, agricultural land in the county may become a thing of the past.
International Effort Needed to Prevent Recurrence of Lake Erie Algal Bloom
On Monday, August 4, half a million people in the Toledo, Ohio metro region could once again drink from their water taps after a weekend without safe drinking water due to a toxin resulting from an algal bloom in the city's water supply, Lake Erie.
Unlocking the Biogas Potential in America's Farms
Thinking about "renewable power" often bring hydroelectric, wind, and solar to mind. The informed will recognize geothermal and biomass as major renewables. Biogas, the non-fossil natural gas, is not well known because few facilities capture it.

Friday Funny: Goats Love a High Rise
Part funny, part amusing, and part just plain cool, goat towers are vertical structures with winding ramps that goats love to climb. They are also are “an idea whose time has come” according to a recent article in Modern Farmer.
The Rising Costs of Water Quality
The pressures on water supply are growing at the same time that water quality is becoming more expensive and more difficult to maintain. A recent article examines the challenges in the farm state of Nebraska.
Urban Youths to Save Future of Farming in America
A successful agriculture program in Southern California introduces farming as a viable career choice to suburban students.
How Does A Propane Shortage Strike Amidst A Production Boom?
Propane prices in some parts of the midwest and south had tripled; governors have demanded investigations into price gouging, and shelters have opened for those unable to afford the steep prices increases, yet production increased 15% from last year.
Farms Become the Latest Must-Have Suburban Amenity
Forget about golf courses and swimming pools, says Luke Runyon, developers are drawing in residents by integrating fully functioning farms into their new neighborhoods.
Is the Small Family Farm a Thing of the Past? The Answer May Surprise You
A new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service tracks trends in the size and production of the country's farms. Even though the size of the average farm has steadily increased, "there are more small farms than ever."
Cities, Not Farms, At Fault For Bay Pollution
Cities, not the agriculture heavy Central Valley, are the source of most of the runoff and pollution that enters the San Francisco Bay, according to a new report.
Trying to Protect Farms and Forests, But Saving Open Space
A land use law passed in Oregon in the 1970s that was meant to protect farmland and forests hasn't really protected either, according to a new report.
Food Farms Become Solar Farms
Decommissioned farms and fields in California are being scouted as possible sited for renewable energy production.
New Crop on BC Farms: RVs
With fruit prices way down, some farmers in British Columbia are taking their fields out of production and renting them out as RV parks. The government in Kelowna, BC, is not happy.
Subdivisions Built Around Agriculture
This article from GOOD wonders whether farms could become the new cornerstone amenity in suburban residential communities.
Seeking Solutions to California's Drought
This piece from National Geographic takes a look at the three-year drought that's plaguing California's cities and farms.
Ag Secretary Concerned Over Farms-to-Forests Conversion
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has ordered the revision of a forecasting model related to congressional climate legislation that makes the conversion of farmland to forests more lucrative than producing food.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Brookings
City of White Salmon
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
M-NCPPC Prince George's County Planning Department
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service