Powhatan County’s land parcelization through Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Community Learning through Data Driven Discovery (CLD3)
Agricultural Issues
Rachel Henley
Extension Agent
Virginia Cooperative Extension
Powhatan
Abstract
Powhatan County has experienced a continual increase in land fragmentation and loss of land from agriculture and forestry. This change is largely due to increased development pressure. COVID helped expose the effects of not having a local food supply and how land fragmentation and development affect local food viability. Land fragmentation directly affects our constituents and is shaping how the county will look in the future. What value is agriculture to Powhatan County as compared to commercial and residential? How has land fragmentation affected the agricultural economics/viability in the county? A loss of rural character to suburban character is the opposite of what Powhatan residents continue to voice. The agriculture Extension agents in Powhatan and Goochland Counties submitted applications for the VCE Community Learning through Data Driven Discovery (CLD3) project for the 10 week summer program. The stakeholder collaborators included the Powhatan County Farm Bureau board, Planning/Zoning, Economic Development, Commissioner of Revenue and GIS staff. Powhatan collaborators supplied feedback over the course of the project and resources for the students and faculty to utilize. The group hoped the project would give recommendations that could be covered by county ordinances (what the county can do to support agriculture, forestry and conserving open spaces); identify those areas and draft/incorporate into recommendations for the county's comprehensive plan as well as zoning and subdivision ordinances; and show a differentiation in the “green” rural areas in the county (ex. Statewide important farm soils, wildlife corridors, etc.) on GIS map. The findings have been very informative to see trends over time and a one stop shop to see all the resources available related to land use. In November one of the students and faculty presented findings to the Powhatan County Planning Commission (PC) via zoom. The members were very thankful for the amazing work that was done on this project and they were happy to hear that this tool can be updated over time. Further research on the cost of services of different land use types will assist in educating local elected officials on the value of agriculture, forested and open land.
Authors: Rachel Henley
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Rachel Henley Extension Agent, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia, 23139