Needs Assessment Survey of Urban Gardeners and Farmers On Soil Contamination.

Interest and participation in urban agriculture is growing in many cities throughout the United States.  Urban gardeners and farmers produce food on various types of urban lands.  Nearly 450,000 brownfields exist in the United States, some of which are utilized for urban agriculture.  Common soil contaminants of brownfields and other urban areas limit the amount of land on which food may safely be grown. The objective of this study was to assess the informational and technical assistance needs of urban gardeners and farmers throughout the United States on the topics of urban soil quality and contamination.  A needs assessment survey of urban gardeners and farmers was conducted in four communities;  Tacoma and Seattle, Washington, Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri, Manhattan, Kansas, and Gary, Indiana.  Two versions of the survey were distributed from summer 2010 to summer 2011; a paper version completed by hand and an electronic version completed online. So far, a total of 125 surveys were collected from all communities.  The survey generated information about what urban gardeners and farmers know, think they know, and want to know about urban soil quality and contamination. Eight-eight percent of respondents indicated that they do not have knowledge of the best management practices to minimize health risks of growing food crops on soils contaminated with lead, cadmium, arsenic or organic contaminants. Our results suggest that urban gardeners and farmers need and want information and guidance on soil testing for common contaminants, interpretation of testing results, and best management practices for growing food on mildly contaminated soils.