The rural communities surrounding Duke sit at the center of one of the most dynamic small-farm ecosystems in the country. Here, farmers are pushing the boundaries of what agriculture can do—not just to feed people, but to drive climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. Yet even with this unusually dense network of working farms, the region needs many more climate-resilient growers if it hopes to build a steady, nutritious local food supply and transform the landscape into a living drought management, flood mitigation, and carbon sequestration technology. These farmers carry enormous potential, but they operate against long odds in a national policy environment that has rarely supported small, sustainable agriculture.
Because most of the benefits they generate—ecological restoration, community wellbeing, and healthy food—are felt locally, it became clear that local policy should play a bigger role. This project engaged farmers across Orange and Durham Counties to understand the policy, environmental, and social factors that make it possible to farm sustainably and, critically, to keep going against structural headwinds. Through interviews and community convenings, the work focused on where local governments can meaningfully support resilient, place-based food systems. A parallel research effort analyzed county-level policies across the United States to surface models and strategies that could strengthen small-farm viability here at home.
Looking ahead, the project aims to deepen relationships between rural and urban communities, build trust and partnership with historically underserved growers, and strengthen community resilience in the face of accelerating climate change. Its long-term viability rests on Duke University’s sustained commitment to the Durham region—and the potential for this work to shape a new blueprint for rural futures across the country.
This research was funded by the Duke University Climate Research Innovation Seed Program (CRISP), the Duke Office of Durham and Community Affairs, and the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies.
Agricultural Policy Landscape Case Study: Durham and Orange Counties, NC
This brief examines the agricultural policy landscape in North Carolina’s Durham and Orange Counties as of 2025, highlighting key programs, funding mechanisms, and planning frameworks that shape the future of farming in these communities.
Durham and Orange County administrations support local farmers using county-level policies and by overseeing state and federal programs, with the overarching goals of supporting farmers and preserving agricultural lands. Both counties administer conservation funding and technical assistance programs, provide tax incentives, support local food economies, and prioritize agriculture in land-use planning.
Panel Discussion: Resilient Communities Rooted in Farmer Flourishing
Lee Miller (Duke Law School) introduces research interviewing 30 Orange County farmers to understand why people become farmers and what support could make farming a viable livelihood as climate disruption worsens and farms consolidate. He highlights an archetype he calls the “post-capitalist entrepreneur,” farmers who redefine success beyond profit, turn transactions into relationships, collaborate rather than compete, and join broad knowledge networks, while still making tough business decisions. Panelists Vera Fabian of 10 Mothers Farm (a one-acre, year-round farm serving 325 CSA families) and rural development agent Mike Ortoski discuss the difficulty of farming, burnout, and the role of crises like COVID in revealing supply-chain fragility and boosting demand for local food. Vera explains how the CSA model reduces risk, builds loyalty, and enables financial transparency, and both discuss co-ops, aggregation, and institutional purchasing as paths forward, alongside questions about health insurance, training costs, and equity in access to local food, including subsidized CSA ideas via employer benefits.
Model Local Policies for Farmer Flourishing
Farmer Profiles
Research Team
- Kerilyn Schewel, Duke Center for International Development, Sanford School of Public Policy
- Jack Daly, World Food Policy Center, Sanford School of Public Policy
- Saskia Cornes, John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute and Duke Campus Farm
- Lee Miller, Duke School of Law
- Simon Heinberg, Duke Master of Public Policy and Master of Environmental Management Program
- Lindsay Bell, Duke Master of Environmental Management Program
- Ana Cedillo, Duke Master of Public Policy Program