|
Dr. Leah Greden Mathews lead a four-year
research
project on the value of farmland
|
While many people profess to love America's
vanishing rural landscape, no research has ever been done to
pinpoint exactly why people value it. Until now.
A four-year research project recently completed by Leah Greden
Mathews, associate professor of economics at the University of North
Carolina at Asheville, was able to determine the specific reasons
people appreciate farmlands as well as to put a price tag on those
values in Western North Carolina. The study, the first of its kind
in the nation, looked beyond the obvious agricultural value of farms
in the four-county area around the University. The team developed an
enhanced land evaluation and site assessment (LESA) model that
incorporates the scenic beauty and cultural heritage characteristics
of the landscape. Mathews argues that the same model can be applied
to rural areas across the nation, helping prioritize land for
protection.
Through surveys and focus groups, Mathews found that residents and
visitors feel that the greatest benefit of neighboring farmland is
local food, scenic beauty and jobs for farmers. More than 80% of
respondents were concerned that farmland will be developed for
non-farm use. Participants concluded that they would be willing to
pay between $184-$195 per year to preserve farmland. And nearly
two-thirds of respondents also said that they would be willing to
pay more for their food if the increase in price went directly to
protect farmland.
Mathews began the study in 2005 with funding from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Cooperative State Research, Education
and Extension Service. She and her team surveyed hundreds of area
residents and visitors, compiled and analyzed data and built an
interactive, multi-media Web site that farmers, rural communities
and policy makers can use to better understand the different values
that people apply to farmland. (www.unca.edu/farmlandvalues)
Mathews is available for interviews. A large number of photographs,
audio files and data are also available.
Previous Press Releases:
