Conflict at the Rural/Urban Interface: Mushroom Farms and Composting in a Suburbanizing Environment

Major complaints, nuisance suits, and vandalism threaten the ability of farms in suburbanizing areas to survive as development occurs around them. This is a particular concern in one county in southeastern Pennsylvania, an area of rapid population growth but also the nation's most productive mushroom producing area. This study examines mushroom growers' indications that on-farm composting is a major source of complaints from nonfarming neighbors. The study found that the size of the farm and the number of homes nearby were significantly more important factors than composting in explaining which mushroom farms receive complaints.