Planning for Agriculture in Wisconsin
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Planning for Agriculture in Wisconsin A Guide for Communities November 2002 Written By Douglas Jackson-Smith With the Assistance of: Paul Benjamin Richard Castlenuovo Gwen Garvey Carrie Hirsch Jonquil Johnston Lisa MacKinnon Steve Ventura Mike Wyatt Acknowledgements The authors of this Guide want to acknowledge the generous institutional and financial support for the project provided by the following organizations. Without their assistance, this guide would never have been possible. In addition, we benefited from the extensive editorial comments and suggestions from a wide range of reviewers. We specifically hope the guide provides a useful reference to communities that are developing comprehensive plans with strong agricultural elements. Contributing And Supporting Organizations University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service University of Wisconsin-Madison Program on Agricultural Technology Studies College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Wisconsin Department of Administration Office of Land Information Services Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection Farmland Preservation Program Wisconsin Farm Center USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - Wisconsin Office Wisconsin Towns Association Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation National Farmers Organization 1000 Friends of Wisconsin Wisconsin Historical Society Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources All photos courtesy of Zane Williams© for use by permission only © 2002 UW Cooperative Extension and Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection ar-pub-87.qxd 11/02 i Overview ______________________________________________________________________1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................1 What Resources are Available for Comprehensive Planning? ............................................................3 Section 1: Background and Introduction __________________________________________5 1.1) Introduction ........................................................................................................................................5 1.2) Why Agricultural Planning is an Issue ............................................................................................6 1.3) Challenges to Agricultural Planning ................................................................................................7 1.4) Why Plan for Agriculture? ................................................................................................................8 1.5) Framework for Rural and Agricultural Planning in Wisconsin Today ........................................9 1.6) Overview of the Broader Planning Process ................................................................................10 1.7) Organization of the Rest of this Guide ..........................................................................................11 Section 2: Agriculture In A Comprehensive Planning Process ______________________12 2.1) Agriculture as Part of the “Agricultural, Natural, and Cultural Resources” Element ............12 2.1.a) Agriculture and Natural Resource Planning ..........................................................................................12 2.1.b) Agriculture and Cultural Resource Planning ........................................................................................15 2.2) Agriculture and Economic Development Planning ......................................................................15 2.3) Agriculture and Housing Planning ................................................................................................16 2.3.a) Farm Labor Housing Issues ......................................................................................................................17 2.4) Agriculture and Transportation Planning ....................................................................................19 2.5) Agriculture and Intergovernmental Planning ..............................................................................21 2.6) Agriculture and Land Use................................................................................................................22 Section 3: Conducting an Agricultural Inventory ________________________________23 3.1) Introduction ......................................................................................................................................23 3.2) Types of Information........................................................................................................................23 3.3) Standards for Evaluating Information............................................................................................26 3.4) Sources of Information ....................................................................................................................26 3.5) Asking the Right Questions ............................................................................................................27 3.6) Gathering Information about Social and Economic Resources ................................................29 3.6.a) Farming Systems ........................................................................................................................................29 3.6.b) Broader Farm Economy and Infrastructure Farm Income and Employment ....................................33 3.6.c) Information about Other Land Uses ........................................................................................................34 3.7) Gathering Information about Biophysical Resources ................................................................37 3.7.a) Soils ..............................................................................................................................................................37 3.7.b) Topography ................................................................................................................................................41 3.7.c) Hydrography ..............................................................................................................................................41 3.7.d) Other Physical Features ............................................................................................................................41 3.7.e) Environmental Susceptibility....................................................................................................................42 ii 3.8) Spatial Patterns ................................................................................................................................42 3.9) Data Integration and Analysis ........................................................................................................43 3.9.a) Example of Data Integration: USDA Land Evaluation and Site Assessment Model ..........................44 Section 4: Clarifying Agricultural Goals and Objectives____________________________46 4.1) Different Types of Agricultural Goals ............................................................................................47 4.1.a) Balancing Growth and Development, Individual and Community ......................................................48 4.2) Examples of Agricultural Goals and Objectives ..........................................................................49 4.2.a) Preservation of Farmland..........................................................................................................................49 4.2.b) Preservation of Farming/Farms................................................................................................................49 4.2.c) Preserve Rural/Agricultural Character; Aesthetics, Sense of Place ....................................................50 4.2.d) Environmental / Natural Resource Protection ......................................................................................51 4.2.e) Preventing Land Uses Incompatible with Farming ................................................................................52 4.3) Methods for Defining Community Goals and Objectives............................................................52 4.3.a) Group Process Approaches: Community Visioning ..............................................................................52 4.3.b) Traditional Opportunities for Public Input: Public Meetings and Hearings ......................................53 4.3.c) Seeking Representative Viewpoints: Phone and Mail Surveys ............................................................54 4.3.d) Exploring What People Mean: Focus Groups ........................................................................................55 4.3.e) Reconciling Differences ............................................................................................................................55 4.4) Integrating Information and Community Values ..........................................................................55 Section 5: Strategies and Policies for Planning for Agriculture ____________________57 5.1) Introduction ......................................................................................................................................57 5.2) Planning versus Zoning ..................................................................................................................57 5.2.a) Types of Zoning ..........................................................................................................................................58