Study Shows Economic Value of Puyallup Valley Farmland

A study sponsored by PCC Farmland Trust and The Trust for Public Land documents the economic value of protecting farmland and establishing clusters of organic and sustainable farms in the Puyallup River Valley. 

“The last 50 years have seen huge changes in the Puyallup Valley as family farms have been sold for development,” said Melissa Campbell, Conservation Director for the PCC Farmland Trust, who co-commissioned the study. “We wanted to see if conserving land for sustainable organic farms, close to other conserved, sustainable farms could yield positive impact on the local agricultural economy. The study also establishes baseline metrics for us to gauge the effectiveness of our work.”

John Hoey, Washington Program Manager for The Trust for Public Land, agreed:

“We are pleased to partner with PCC Farmland Trust in sponsoring this study, as we are always looking for ways to measure the impact of protecting farms and other working lands to foster a healthy, vibrant agricultural system, especially in a growing urban region."

Puyallup Valley Farmland: Metrics and Economic Analysis for Organic and Sustainable Agriculture in the Orting Study Area was prepared by Globalwise, Inc., an agricultural economics consulting firm.

The new study builds on findings in the Pierce County Agricultural Strategic Plan written by Globalwise in 2006. It examines various farm and economic metrics in a sub-area of the Puyallup Valley, and includes farmer interviews and explores opportunities for food processing and market expansion in the region. It also analyses the feasibility of conserving corridors of agricultural land and opportunities for an agricultural economic revival in the valley.

The study’s clear conclusion is that there are significant benefits to clustering agricultural lands for organic and sustainable farming, and that conditions in the Puyallup Valley support the economic viability of establishing more of these farms in the study area.

“We now know that our local organic and sustainable farms have been operating profitably for several years,” said Hoey. “With better planning to create clusters of conserved land in fertile areas close to city edges, organic and sustainable farming is a viable proposition.”

The study was funded in part by the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, the Carolyn Foundation, and the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation.

“For PCC Farmland Trust, this report affirms our current focus on farmland conservation in the Puyallup Valley, helps us understand the implications of focusing in targeted geographic areas, and underscores the impact that agricultural conservation can have in communities with highly threatened agricultural land, on the urban fringe," Campbell added.

To view the report, go to www.pccfarmlandtrust.org.

Information provided by PCC Farmland Trust