Orders to relocate Crooked Sky Farms is another decision that will contribute to a shrinking #farmland in Arizona. The family farms that were a hallmark of Phoenix are rapidly disappearing and taking away local food sources with them. The city must find new avenues to provide for essential resources instead of relocating farms. 

The farmlands in Phoenix are disappearing. According to the Maricopa Association of Governments, In 2000, there were 640 square miles of agricultural land in Maricopa County and 540 miles of residential land. In 2019, agricultural land had decreased to 410 miles while residential land had increased to 750 miles. The City can not carry on the practice of depleting it's food sources. The need for local food sources has increased, and relocating farms to accommodate other projects isn't the right move.

Moving a farm is not an easy task either. Starting everything from scratch, cultivating a new crop, getting familiar with the new land, all of which is exhausting. More importantly, a family has to leave everything behind and start fresh. Frank Martin, the owner of Crooked Sky Farms, addressed these issues. "To move a farm, it’s just horrible," Martin said. "To pick up everything, move over and start a new crop. I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights and my stomach is in knots."

Being forced to relocate is another burden on farmers who are already having to deal with dwindling water resources. The Colorado river that irrigates 1.75 million acres of land is half empty. Climate change will result in further depletion by 2050. Finding new lands sustainable for farming won't be easy. 

It's not just the farmers who will have to deal with the impacts of relocation. Farmlands employ numerous people who will also suffer the consequences. Aggressive urbanization and newer technologies have already diminished job opportunities on farmlands. If the city keeps relocating farmlands without creating a framework for providing alternative opportunities, the employees will suffer. 

Disappearing farmlands also have an impact on other farming related businesses. It's not just farms that are fading. In absence of farms, services that farmers rely on are also looking for alternative businesses. Packing houses that process and package produce before sending it to retailers, have largely disappeared from the city in recent years. 

It should be remembered that it was in fact the farmers who made Phoenix the viable place for living it is today. The City of Phoenix should do more to preserve farmlands instead of pushing farmers out. A balance between growing Urbanization and diminishing agricultural sectors is in the best interests of everybody. Phoenix has the responsibility to provide essential resources but it shouldn't come at the expense of farmlands. These farmlands are symbols of thousands of years old traditions. Compromising a farmer's well being to start ambitious projects is counter productive in the long run.