Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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410 results(14 / 17)
School Gardens: Ripe with STEM and Experiential Learning; Fertile Soil for Agricultural Program Growth
2012Shannon Lawrence, John Rayfield · The Agricultural education magazine · United States
This article discusses the merits and potential of incorporating school gardens into agricultural education programs in the United States. It notes that school gardens, a national movement since 1891, offer opportunities for agricultural literacy, community outreach, and STEM integration. The ideas presented are based on conversations with agriculture teachers, observations, experiences, and reflections.
Food educationCommunityCSA & TeikeiDeterminants of Hoophouse Profitability: A Case Study of 12 Novice Michigan Farmers
2012Kurt B. Waldman, David Conner, John A. Biernbaum, Michael W. Hamm, Adam Montri · HortTechnology · United States (Michigan)
Quantitative and qualitative data from 12 novice hoophouse farmers in Michigan were analyzed over a 3-year period to understand factors associated with profitable use of these structures. There was wide variation in labor inputs and effective wages, and not all farmers utilized hoophouses between outdoor seasons. However, high wage earners tended to extend production into off-peak months, hire labor at higher wages, and spend less time on crop maintenance, appearing to harvest more efficiently.
EconomicsCSA & TeikeiThe 2009 Late Blight Pandemic in the Eastern United States – Causes and Results
2012William E. Fry, M. T. McGrath, Abby Seaman, Thomas A. Zitter, A. McLeod, Giovanna Danies, Ian M. Small, Kevin Myers, Kathryne L. Everts, Amanda J. Gevens, Beth K. Gugino, Sara B. Johnson, Howard S. Judelson, Jean B. Ristaino, Pamela Roberts, Gary A. Secor, K. W. Seebold, K. Snover-Clift, A. Wyenandt, Niklaus J. Grünwald, Christine D. Smart · Plant Disease · United States
The 2009 tomato late blight pandemic in the eastern United States resulted in significant crop losses for many home gardeners and organic producers. This event led to widespread questions regarding its causes and differences from previous epidemics.
Limited or null effectCSA & TeikeiFood lossClimate changeConnecting communities through food: the theoretical foundations of community supported agriculture in the UK
2012Neil Ravenscroft, Niamh Moore, Ed Welch, Andrew Church · University of Brighton Repository (University of Brighton) · United Kingdom
This paper explores the theoretical foundations of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in the UK, a cooperative venture where communities share farming risks and harvests. It suggests that CSA's theoretical underpinnings are gift-based, fostering deep connections among people, farmers, and the environment. The paper argues that CSA's significance lies in its rejection of market-based food communities and its demonstration of durable community forms for making multiple connections.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceA green oasis in a food desert : increasing the accessibility of affordable healthy foods in an urban neighborhood in Hartford, CT
2012Katherine Johns-Galvin · · United States
This research examined the cycle of poor nutrition in the Frog Hollow neighborhood, Hartford, Connecticut, an urban food desert characterized by limited access to affordable, healthy foods. It argues that the growth of farmers’ markets, community-supported agriculture, and community gardens has reintroduced affordable, attainable healthy foods to the neighborhood. This introduction of locally grown produce at affordable prices has enabled the Frog Hollow neighborhood to begin addressing food insecurity.
CommunityCSA & TeikeiHealthFood sovereignty & justiceInterdisciplinary Model for Infusing Food Security into STEM Curriculum
2012Maleka P. Hashmi, Kitrina M. Carlson · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · Global
A student-driven, community-engaged learning course on food systems and choices was developed to enhance student understanding of food security determinants. The course, guided by the socio-ecological model, included student-led modules and community research projects in metro Atlanta, focusing on local food distribution and access in low-income areas. It culminated in a symposium and research reports, with a grant from Emory's CFCP supporting community collaboration.
Food educationFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityCSA & TeikeiGrowing Community Resilience: Empowering Neighborhoods with Tools of Design for the Northern Climate
2012Anna Biebrauer · University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy (University of Minnesota) · Global
This handbook provides a basic design primer for urban farmers, gardeners, and community groups interested in creating pocket farms, community gardens, or CSAs. It compiles urban agriculture components, precedents, and design considerations for arrangement, construction, perception, and use by farmers and their communities. The suggested ideas and plants are tailored for the Northern climate (hardy to USDA Zone 4).
CommunityDIYCSA & TeikeiCommunity Supported Agriculture is thriving in the Central Valley
2012Ryan E. Galt, Libby O'Sullivan, Jessica Beckett, Colleen C. Hiner · California Agriculture · United States (California)
This study investigated Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operations in California's Central Valley and surrounding foothills, United States. Surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted with 54 CSA farmers and two CSA organizers, focusing on CSA type, economic viability, farmer characteristics, and farm attributes. Findings revealed that 54% of CSAs reported profitability, farmers were generally younger, better educated, and more likely to be women, and farms were small, utilizing agroecological methods.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityOrganic cycleSatisfaction in the context of customer co‐production: A behavioral involvement perspective
2012David M. Hunt, Stephanie Geiger‐Oneto, Philip E. Varca · Journal of Consumer Behaviour · Global
This exploratory field study, drawing on community theory, examined whether engagement in co-production activities in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) leads to greater product satisfaction for consumers. Results indicated that two types of value co-creation—commitment to co-production and behavioral involvement in product-related activities—were positively correlated with product satisfaction. These findings support the notion that value co-creation provides value for consumers.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsLow Carbon and Environmental Protection:A New Conception of Contemporary Western Cultural Movement of Agricultural Food
2012Zhu Qing-hai · Ecological Economy · Global
This paper describes a new cultural movement in agricultural food emerging in Western developed countries, driven by concerns over food safety, environmental pollution, global climate change, and inequality. This movement encompasses community-supported agriculture, food miles, and fair trade. These initiatives are presented as ensuring food safety, promoting regional economic development, safeguarding global fairness and justice, and influencing global environmental improvement.
CSA & TeikeiFood miles & supply chainClimate changeFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsNourishing women: toward a feminist political ecology of community supported agriculture in the United States
2011Lucy Jarosz · Gender Place & Culture · United States
This article examines the motivations of women farmers involved in community supported agriculture (CSA) in a US metropolitan region, based on interviews. It argues that these women's motivations reflect an ethics of care, centering their work on nourishing themselves and others. Their choices are shaped by the urban context, race, and middle-class status, expressing self-care and a post-capitalist politics that challenges neoliberal subject formation.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsSafe food, green food, good food: Chinese Community Supported Agriculture and the rising middle class
2011Yan Shi, Cunwang Cheng, Peng Lei, Tiejun Wen, Caroline Merrifield · International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability · China (Beijing)
This paper examined the relationship between the Chinese middle class and sustainable agriculture, from the perspective of establishing and operating Beijing's first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, amidst growing middle-class interest in "green" and sustainable food. The study discussed the farm's environmental and institutional sustainability, and explored the potential for future success with CSA models in China based on evidence from this case.
CSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsClimate changeLegitimating community supported agriculture through American pastoralist ideology
2011Melea Press, Eric J. Arnould · Journal of Consumer Culture · United States
This study examines how Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs gained legitimacy as a market form in the United States, using a socio-historical lens. It argues that American pastoralist ideology, linking historical agrarian ideals with modern CSAs, helped integrate them into the mainstream. The research suggests that the Internet further aided this legitimation by fostering personal commercial communications and de-massification, reinforcing egalitarian principles and community perceptions central to pastoralist ideology while masking cultural contradictions.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsCommunity Supported Agriculture in the Urban Fringe: Empirical Evidence for Project Feasibility in the Metropolitan Area of Naples (Italy)
2011Gianni Cicia, Francesca Colantuoni, Del Giudice Teresa, Stefano Pascucci · International journal on food system dynamics · Italy
This study analyzed the effects of urbanization on farm land use and organization in the protected area of the Campi Flegrei Regional Park, a peri-urban rural area in the Neapolitan metropolitan area. Researchers distinguished farms into three behavioral-social groups based on specific features to identify the best-suited type for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) implementation. A market scenario was predicted for each group without intervention.
CSA & TeikeiPeri-urban agricultureEconomicsAgricultura Apoiada pela Comunidade: poderia a experiência dos agricultores americanos ser útil para os agricultores urbanos brasileiros?
2011Marina Castelo Branco, RS Liz, F. A. de Alcântara, HAG Martins, J.A Hanson · Horticultura Brasileira · Brazil
This study gathered information on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA/AAC) projects in the US and assessed the willingness of consumers and poor urban producers in a low-income Brazilian city to engage in such projects. US AAC farmers typically cultivated less than 2 hectares, offered various vegetables for at least four months, but faced challenges with production planning and long-term maintenance. Brazilian consumers showed willingness to participate, mainly for fresh, organically produced food, while poor urban producers were unwilling due to their inability to guarantee production.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsWelfarePolicyImproving fruit and vegetable consumption: use of farm-to-consumer venues among US adults.
2011Heidi M. Blanck, Olivia M. Thompson, Linda Nebeling, Amy L. Yaroch · PubMed · United States
This study analyzed data from 1,994 US adults from the National Cancer Institute's Food Attitudes and Behaviors Survey to assess the use of farm-to-consumer venues for purchasing fruits and vegetables. It found that 27% of grocery shoppers reported at least weekly use of these venues during summer. Older adults and those in the Northeast were most likely to use them weekly, with no differences observed by sex, race/ethnicity, education, or income.
CSA & TeikeiHealthFood miles & supply chainFood and Sustainability
2011Jack Russell Weinstein, Jay Basquiat · UND Scholarly Commons (University of North Dakota) · United States
This abstract explores philosophical questions regarding food and sustainability. It raises inquiries about why certain foods are eaten, the meaning of 'natural,' and the moral rules for food manufacturing and agricultural priorities. The text also questions the cultural and spiritual roles of food and responsibilities in providing food. Jay Basquiat is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Bismarck State College who sustainably farms near Mandan, ND.
CSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageEconomicsAn analysis of the impacts of health insurance rebate initiatives on community supported agriculture in Southern Wisconsin
2011Greg Jackson, Amanda L. Raster, Will Shattuck · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Southern Wisconsin)
Since 2005, four insurance providers in southern Wisconsin have offered rebates to policyholders who subscribe to a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation, reducing costs by up to 40%. This program, managed by MACSAC, led to increased fruit and vegetable consumption among CSA members and reduced advertising time for growers. Both the number of MACSAC member farms and the total shares offered by these farms have substantially increased, indicating the program's success in reducing grower risk and expanding production.
CSA & TeikeiHealthEconomicsPolicyFOOD, LAW & THE ENVIRONMENT: INFORMATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES FOR A SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEM
2011Jason J. Czarnezki · Pace Digital Repository (Pace University) · United States
This article considers legal, theoretical, and practical steps towards a more sustainable food model. It argues that two changes are necessary to alter modern American food consumption: increased awareness and increased availability. The article reiterates the need to increase information available to consumers and the consequences of food choices, further arguing that structural changes in the food system are necessary to increase access to sustainable foods.
PolicyEconomicsCSA & TeikeiFood sovereignty & justice2010 Student Organic Farm
2011Jennifer Marie Vazquez · · United States
In 2010, the ISU Student Organic Farm (SOF) completed its fifth season at the ISU Horticulture Research Station and began selling Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares for the first time. This initiative aimed to address the challenges of voluntarily managing an acre of organic vegetables. The effort led to increased participant involvement, greater food production and distribution, and improvements in infrastructure and soil fertility, including the purchase and installation of drip irrigation and the planting of a winter cover crop.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityFood educationOrganic cycleFactors for Transition towards Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in Japan: Underlying Motivations and Challenges
2011Hiroaki Murase, Takashi Maéno, Kiyohiko Sakamoto · The International Journal of Environmental Cultural Economic and Social Sustainability Annual Review · Japan
This is a scholarly article by Hiroaki Murase, Takashi Maeno, and Kiyohiko Sakamoto, published in The International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic, and Social Sustainability: Annual Review.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomics경남의 친환경농업 활성화와 지역농식품체계 구축
2011권용덕, 윤인국 · 정책포커스 · South Korea
A study investigated the status of eco-friendly agriculture in Gyeongnam, South Korea, from 2009 to 2010. Gyeongnam's eco-friendly production base was low at 6.2% of the national total (12,043ha), with a high proportion of low-pesticide produce (62.9%). Direct sales were prevalent, but wholesale distribution was very low at 3.0% of total transactions, and exports were concentrated in processed foods and heavily reliant on the Japanese market. The study identified issues such as weakened producer bargaining power, slow development of local food systems due to policy gaps, inadequate wholesale distribution, and an export structure that does not significantly benefit farmers, and proposed revitalization strategies.
Food sovereignty & justiceCSA & TeikeiFood educationPolicySupporting Local Agriculture
2011Kathleen L. Cappellano · Nutrition Today · United States
This article outlines farmers markets, community-supported agriculture, school- and community-based gardening, and collaborative programs that provide access to fresh produce, in response to American consumers' growing interest in learning about how and where their food is produced. It highlights online resources that describe these programs and organizations, which inform people about the many benefits of local agriculture.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityFood educationEconomicsAre the Old Ways New Again?: Local Farmers Practicing Civic Agriculture in Southwest Missouri
2011Lester Scott Lakey · BearWorks (Missouri State University) · United States (Missouri)
An ethnographic study of two farms in the Springfield Plateau region of the Missouri Ozarks was conducted to assess the effects of "local food" movements on farmers. The study found that local farms share qualities with traditional family farms. It also revealed significant variability in farmers' motivations and attitudes, ranging from farming as a means to earn family income to farming as a way to build networks connecting farmers and consumers within the community.
CSA & TeikeiCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceRaising Elijah: Protecting Our Children in an Age of Environmental Crisis
2011Victoria Derr · Children Youth and Environments · Global
This book review examines Sandra Steingraber's "Raising Elijah," which addresses parental concerns about environmental crises and children's protection. The book details environmental hazards and advocates for engagement in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms. It criticizes the inadequacy of policies that force parents to act as "their own regulatory agencies" and suggests that collaborative, multi-agency approaches are necessary for effective environmental protection, beyond individual actions like buying local and organic.
CSA & TeikeiHealthClimate change