WASHINGTON — The number of farms in the United States continues to decline in what has been a concerning trend in the past 25 years. In the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2012 Census of Agriculture, the number of farms in the country dropped to 2.1 million, down from 2.2 million in 2007 and 2.48 million in 1982.
Susan James’ family has farmed in Virginia since 1725. Throughout the years, she has seen a response to the disappearing farms: backyard farming — a term used to encompass everything from independent vegetable gardens, to at-home beehives, backyard chickens and more.
“For us now, it can [take place anywhere], from a plot in an urban setting to suburban backyards,” says James, who runs the Stonyman Gourmet Farmer in Washington, Va., a farm that specializes in farmstead cheese and customized meats.
And while backyard farming is on the rise, it is nothing new.
“It’s had a long and revered tradition in our country,” says James, who says that even people in bustling cities used to keep cows and other livestock.
“During World War II, there were victory gardens so that people could have fresh produce because the production of food was going to the war efforts. And those gardens, by the way, still exist today. It’s taken an evolution, and it’s different now than it was in the past, but you see each generation — it’s been something that Americans really like, and right now it’s really going through a resurgence as people rediscover the rewards of doing this.”
On Saturday, March 8, James will chair a session titled, “The Facts of Backyard Farming Life” at Celebrating FOOD!, the Les Dames d’Escoffier symposium saluting women in gastronomy.
With a panel of four other urban agriculture experts, James will discuss the trends and techniques taking place in backyard farming.
One trend she’s noticed is the change in demographics in at-home harvesting.
“Backyard farming seems to be an activity that women are really interested in,” James says. “In the past two census periods
