Goal #2: As our cities grow, we prioritize natural resource conservation and maintain working lands to promote soil health
Enhancing agricultural uses and rural character in Douglas County have been identified as important community issues. Natural resources - nutrient-rich soils, clean and abundant water, and farmers on the land - are all needed to support a robust local food system.
The Objectives and Policies in Goal 2 suggest actions that the community can take to protect high quality agricultural land, conserve soil and water resources, improve soil and water quality, and support beginning farmer land access.
The indicators below can help us track our progress in achieving this goal:
Land in farms in Douglas County
Overview
The acreage designated as ‘‘land in farms’’ consists primarily of agricultural land used for crops, pasture, or grazing. It also includes woodland and wasteland not actually under cultivation or used for pasture or grazing, provided it was part of the farm producer’s total operation.
About the Data
Source: USDA Census of Agriculture
Update Frequency: Every 5 years
Notes: The Census of Agriculture provides a detailed picture of U.S. farms and ranches every five years. The census definition of a farm is any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year. Land in farms is an operating unit concept and includes land owned and operated as well as land rented from others.
Number of farms in Douglas County (by acres operated)
Overview
This is the number of farms in Douglas County counted in the U.S. Census of Agriculture, sorted by size of farm (in acres). The census definition of a farm is any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year.
About the Data
Source: USDA Census of Agriculture
Update Frequency: Every 5 years
Notes: The Census of Agriculture provides a detailed picture of U.S. farms and ranches every five years.
Number of organic farms certified by the USDA National Organic Program
Overview
This is a count of the number Census of Agriculture respondents in Douglas County who indicated that they had organic production according to USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP).
About the Data
Source: USDA Census of Agriculture
Update Frequency: Every 5 years
Notes: The Census of Agriculture provides a detailed picture of U.S. farms and ranches every five years. The Census of Agriculture began capturing the number of organic farm operations by county in 2007.
Total organic product sales (in U.S. dollars)
Overview
The data represent the value of organically produced agricultural commodities sold from Douglas County farm operations. It includes only the value of those products that were produced as organic according to the National Organic Standards and sold by certified farms or exempt from certification farm operations.
About the Data
Source: USDA Census of Agriculture
Update Frequency: Every 5 years
Notes: The Census of Agriculture provides a detailed picture of U.S. farms and ranches every five years. The Census of Agriculture began capturing the value of sales from organic farms in 2012.
Acres of farmland enrolled in USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in Douglas County
Overview
CRP is a land conservation program administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). In exchange for a yearly rental payment, farmers enrolled in the program agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality. The long-term goal of the program is to re-establish valuable land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and reduce loss of wildlife habitat.
About the Data
Source: USDA Conservation Reserve Program Statistics
Update Frequency: Annually
Notes: Data is available for Douglas County from 1986-2019. These values represent cumulative acres enrolled at the program at the end of the fiscal year.
Number of farms practicing rotational or management-intensive grazing
Overview
Rotational grazing involves the shifting of livestock to different units of a pasture or range in regular sequence to permit the recovery and growth of the pasture plants after grazing. This practice can provide economic benefits for ranchers including greater livestock production per acre. These practices also produce environmental benefits such decreased soil erosion potential, reduced need for pesticides and fertilizers, and decreased barnyard runoff.
About the Data
Source: USDA Census of Agriculture
Update Frequency: Every 5 years
Notes: The Census of Agriculture provides a detailed picture of U.S. farms and ranches every five years. This data has been collected since 2007.
Number of new and beginning farmers operating in Douglas County
2017 Data
Overview
This was a new category in the 2017 Census of Agriculture. USDA defines beginning farmers and ranchers as those who have operated a farm or ranch for 10 years or less either as a sole operator or with others who have operated a farm or ranch for 10 years or less.
About the Data
Source: USDA Census of Agriculture
Update Frequency: Every 5 years
Notes: The Census of Agriculture provides a detailed picture of U.S. farms and ranches every five years. The Census of Agriculture began capturing the number of new and beginning farmers at the last census, in 2017. The Douglas County percentage of new and beginning farmers (25.83%) is slightly higher than the state of Kansas (23.69% new and beginning farmers).
Douglas County watersheds impacted by nitrogen and/or phosphorus pollution
Overview
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports on key pollutants impacting watersheds. There are 8 watersheds wholly or partially within Douglas County that were used in this data set. One of the primary sources of nitrogen and/or phosphorous is agricultural activity. The nitrogen and phosphorus in animal manure and chemical fertilizers can be necessary to grow crops. However, when these nutrients are not fully utilized by plants they can be carried off of farm fields in soil and rainwater, and negatively impact air and downstream water quality.
About the Data
Source: EPA's "How's My Waterway?" Tool
Update Frequency: Map data is updated as water monitors report data to EPA. Varies based upon location.
Notes: "How’s My Waterway" was designed to provide the general public with information about the condition of their local waters based on data that states, federal, tribal, local agencies and others have provided to EPA. Water quality information is displayed by watershed.
Community Voices
Growing Common Ground to New Heights
In 2017, when the Douglas County Food System Plan (FSP) was first adopted, Common Ground, the City of Lawrence’s urban gardening and farming program, was already an established and robust effort.
Dining Out on “Purposeful Plates”
In early 2019, members of the Douglas County Food Policy Council (DCFPC) Goal 5 working group, which focuses on eliminating food waste through reduction, recovery, and diversion, partnered with Dr. Susan Harvey from The University of Kansas...