State study finds land access, water and technical assistance limit urban agriculture; recommends funding and zoning guidance

Danny Madrone, legislative director at the State Conservation Commission, presented the commission’s urban‑agriculture study to the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 21, saying the work grew from House Bill 1552 (2023) and a set of land‑use recommendations from the Washington Food Policy Forum.

The study, prepared by Ross Strategic for the commission, focused on outdoor urban and peri‑urban farms, for‑profit and nonprofit operations, and community gardens. It combined a literature review, interviews, a focus group, a survey with 45 respondents and three case studies. The presentation emphasized the potential benefits — increased food access, economic opportunities, education and community connection — and the principal barriers: unstable land access and tenure, insufficient technical assistance and training, zoning and regulatory barriers, water cost and access, and limited market and network support.

Survey respondents (45 total) reported diverse backgrounds…