Urban Sprawl

This was a research piece I wrote at university. It is some of my best work and one of my favorite things I have written to date.

UTAH- Life-long farmer Frank Nelson of Utah County looks over what used to be rolling farmland. His property is now boxed in by houses and other city developments and a highway runs down the middle. “It’s crazy how fast everything has changed,” he said. “I remember when I wasn’t the only farmer up here. Now I have to deal with traffic and neighbors who don’t understand what is associated with farming: the smell, the sounds, and everything else.”

Nelson is not alone in this experience. Many farmers and agriculturalists around the country deal with this phenomenon, known as urban sprawl, on a daily basis. Brent Money, another Utah County farmer is the fourth generation to run his ranch. He said, “sprawl has affected my operation, not as heavily as in some areas, but it does affect the way we do business and our ability to farm.”

One factor that plays a key role in urban sprawl is population growth. According to data from the census, in the past ten years, Utah has had the most population growth of any of the fifty states.