Case Study 2: A Holistic, Regional Approach to Sustainable Agriculture
Building Resilience in the Rappahannock-Rapidan Region of Virginia
On a humid evening in August, a group of ranchers gathered together on a pasture at Locust Dale Cattle Company in Madison, Virginia to see first-hand the results of an experimental summer forage plot and learn from fellow producers about methods for increasing ranch productivity and performance. The evening culminated with a series of demonstrations on using technology, from drones to smart phone apps to portable corrals, to increase efficiency and sustainability of cattle production in the region.
The event and experiment was part of the Sustainable Grazing Project, a project of the American Farmland Trust, that has been working for the past year-and-a-half across the Rappahannock-Rapidan region of Virginia to find creative ways to help producers be more efficient and more profitable while also promoting regenerative practices. The project is one of many diverse efforts across the region to advance sustainable agriculture in ways that are good for both the local environment and economy.
The Rappahannock-Rapidan Region: An Agricultural History
The Rappahannock-Rapidan region of the northern Piedmont of Virginia lies on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park. Although it lies between two growing metropolitan areas, Charlottesville and Washington D.C., the region is committed to maintaining its rural character.
The five-county region has a long history rooted in agriculture. Today, approximately 15% of Virginia’s farms are located in the area. Animal and grain production, particularly cattle, is the predominant land use, supported by the rolling topography and mild climate and rich soils of the region.
However, as in many parts of rural America, agricultural production has been in decline in recent years. The number of cattle operations has decreased continuously since the 90s with an all-time low in 2007, particularly among mid-sized operations. Becky Gartner, a local agent with Virginia Cooperative Extension, explained one piece of this change: “Full-time farmers are going out… Everyone farms part-time now in my family now because you can’t make it as a full-time job. So, you are seeing that transition.” Additionally, producers have faced increasing loss of income in recent years with an average annual net loss of 22% of sales across the region in 2015.
Despite a decline in the number of farm operations and producer income, the region has seen the growth of more niche markets such as vineyards and orchards and a burgeoning agritourism sector. The area’s proximity to large metropolitan areas has contributed to the success of the recreation and tourism sector as well as provided larger consumer markets for the region. John McCarthy, Director of Strategic Partnerships with the Piedmont Environmental Council, explained, “What has changed over the last 20 years has been the shift toward providing a farming economy that has meaning to suburban and urban dwellers at both ends of our region…So we have a lot more things like wineries and other kinds of craft beverage… and a lot more effort to try to make sure that what’s being grow is pitched towards a local marketplace where value can be added a little better.”
Expansion of Sustainable and Local Agriculture
The Rappahannock-Rapidan region has a long history of commitment to the preservation of its rural character and agricultural history. “Trying to bridge the gap between economics and environment and trying to sell them both as a package has been inherent to this region for as long as I’ve been here… the ag economy is a big part of this region so it’s inherent for them to conserve what they have in order to be able to return that economic value,” explained Michelle Edwards, a planner with the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission.
In recent years this commitment has grown even stronger, illustrated by the efforts of a breadth of organizations across the region to protect agricultural land and operations. Local nonprofits, county extension offices, the soil and water conservation district, and regional planning commission, among others, are all working to conserve working lands in ways that promote environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Especially over the last 15 to 20 years, engagement in sustainable agricultural practices has been on the rise across the region.
As conservation professionals work to advance the adoption of sustainable farming practices across the region, they are realizing the importance of working at the intersection of environmental and economic benefits. “The region is realizing it needs to come at it from the economic angle and is working to show through quantitative returns these benefits. If I can convince somebody to do something because it’s the morally right thing to do, that’s great, but I have a heck of a lot more success if I show them that they can get paid for it and there’s a return on their investment that’s tangible,” explained McCarthy.
Additionally, the region’s inclusion in the Chesapeake Bay watershed has led to increased awareness of and funding for conservation practices, particularly related to improving water quality. Tim Mize, an extension agent in Fauquier County, discussed the role of the watershed in regional sustainability: “Everybody is aware that what drives us right now is the Chesapeake Bay. I think most people are aware that this is going to be the model used across the country- for the Mississippi, for the Great Lakes.”
The region has also seen an increase in direct-to-consumer sales in recent years. For instance, between 2007 and 2012, direct-to-consumer sales increased 27% and were four times the national average. Particularly amid the market changes resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, many see the opportunity for even further expansion of local markets. Jesse Straight, owner and operator of Whiffletree Farms, has centered his business around direct marketing and credits his ability to stay profitable while following strictly regenerative practices to that approach. “Those are the game changers, the farm practices as well as the business model,” he said. “I would be wary of someone who is not doing both of those and having a successful business.”
In 2015, the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission completed a regional farm and food plan that explored the landscape of local food in the area. The report identified a variety of opportunities for expansion of sustainable agriculture, particularly related to building a stronger local foods system. Since 2015, multiple initiatives have been started. For instance, a local food marketing plan and branding study in 2017 led to the development of Purely Piedmont, a brand and logo for local foods from the five-county region. Additionally, a multitude of stakeholders are working to develop more local infrastructure including the planning and development of the George Washington Carver Food Enterprise Center based in Culpeper County. In addition to providing space for food storage and processing, the Food Enterprise Center would provide job training and lead research and demonstrations exploring sustainable practices.
The Sustainable Grazing Project
Starting in 2019, the Sustainable Grazing Project, an initiative of the American Farmland Trust, has been working across the region to promote sustainable and regenerative practices. The project works with eight pilot producers across the five counties to implement cattle production practices that increase efficiency, profitability, and animal welfare. Jacob Gilley, a young rancher in the region, manages the Sustainable Grazing Project and helped strategically determine the group of pilot producers. “We wanted to pick some younger producers and then some older producers; some that were part time, some full time, some maybe with some money already, some that were kind of scratching by. Larger producers, smaller producers. So, a very diverse group,” explained Gilley.
Much of the project has focused on helping producers implement new technology and infrastructure in their operations as well as building a robust record keeping system. Other tiers of the project include monitoring soil health and other environmental indicators, tracking production yield, and helping producers with marketing and diversification. From marketing to monitoring to technology and infrastructure application, the project is working to increase sustainability and productivity from all angles and through a diversity of tactics.
On top of working with the pilot producers, the project works collaboratively with other regional organizations and initiatives across the region to increase pace and scale of agricultural conservation and sustainable production. While the project is very grounded in the local community and agricultural landscape, the long-term goal is for the approach to be a model that can be applied at-scale across the country.
The Sustainable Grazing Project and other initiatives across the region are unique in their holistic approach to building economic and environmental sustainability, focusing their gaze on the broader regional food-system and community-scale resilience. Given the complexity of agricultural systems, the many players involved recognize the long-term scale on which much progress happens. Many stakeholders who have been engaged in agriculture in the region for a while have seen change over time and recognize the importance of keeping the momentum going along extended time scales. “There’s an established need and there’s people and groups that are wanting to move the needle forward and we have seen progress…So as long as we’re still making some progress we’ll keep going. I don’t think you can expect to see food-system-wide change in five years… When you’re talking about systems that are this complex and intertwined you can’t expect instantaneous change. So, it’s slow going, but it’s worth it,” explained Michelle Edwards.
Systemic Bottlenecks: Funding, Policy, and Reaching Scale
Although stakeholders have seen much change in adoption of sustainable practices in recent years, they still continue to face challenges in advancing conservation at scale. For instance, increasing pace and scale of sustainable production calls for increased local processing capacity. While there are various initiatives and plans underway to implement infrastructure, funding limitations and state and federal regulations have limited development thus far. John McCarthy described a main reason why it is so hard to receive funding for processing facilities: “People love to donate to save the brook trout or conserve open space or do something for wildlife habitat. But it’s kind of hard to make a sexy pitch for selling animal processing.”
Processing and infrastructure setbacks are just one obstacle within the broader need for systemic change. Taylor Stewart, a local rancher described, “Really the whole system has to be shifted from the ground up. I don’t know that we’re going to see the desired results of a sustainable or regenerative food system if we try to work within the structure that’s there.”
However, even amid challenges, the region continues to think strategically and holistically about building a resilient agricultural economy and environment, working to find, fund, and implement solutions that fit the region’s needs. Tim Mize is one of many committed to the long game, thinking about how to change the broader agriculture system. He explained, “We’re going to have to have processing. We’re going to have to get more efficient… We’re going to need bigger plants, to handle more animals, to knock some of those dollars off… I think there’s an opportunity there, but that involves a lot of moving parts. And that involves strong leadership and it’s going to take some money.”
