Durham County
HR&A conducted a feasibility study for Durham County to position a 129-acre site as a community-serving hub for aspiring farmers, with a focus on encouraging BIPOC representation in agriculture. HR&A guided site selection and acquisition while developing implementation strategies for the Farm Campus, which features incubator farms, food distribution hubs, production facilities, and a healing garden.
Durham County envisioned a Farm Campus addressing food security while creating economic pathways for BIPOC and marginalized communities through an incubator farm, food hub, value-add production facility, and healing garden. HR&A evaluated environmental, social, and economic factors across potential locations to identify a suitable site. Working with landscape architecture firm Andropogon Associates, we recommended a property balancing programmatic needs with community accessibility. The County successfully acquired the 129-acre site.
HR&A developed phasing and programming strategies balancing near-term activation with long-term vision, while Andropogon Associates created preliminary design concepts. We produced a business and operations plan providing financial and management frameworks and developed governance model recommendations. Our risk assessment included potential racial equity impacts, ensuring the Farm Campus can deliver on its mission of building food security and economic opportunity for Durham’s underserved communities.
