Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
Theme
Critical findings
626 results(18 / 26)
World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) in the United States: locations and motivations of volunteer tourism host farms
2014· Journal of Sustainable Tourism · United States
Analyzes the locations and motivations of WWOOF volunteer-tourism host farms in the US, finding host distributions are spatially skewed toward the west coast and Appalachia.
EconomicsOrganic cycleCommunityRadical, reformist, and garden-variety neoliberal: coming to terms with urban agriculture's contradictions
2014McClintock N. · Local Environment · USA
Argues that urban agriculture, by filling the void left by the 'rolling back' of the social safety net, underwrites neoliberalization; its discourse of entrepreneurialism and self-help shifts responsibility onto individuals, exposing the movement's contradictions.
WelfarePolicyEconomicsInnovation in urban agricultural practices: Responding to diverse production environments
2014Anne Pfeiffer, Erin Silva, Jed B. Colquhoun · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States
A project centered at the University of Wisconsin-Madison gathered data through site visits and interviews with urban agricultural organizations in seven US cities. It examined how structural and strategic food system factors shape urban agricultural efforts, considering diverse business and production models. The study discusses unique innovations in space-intensive agricultural production and assesses significant challenges facing urban agriculture.
CommunityPolicyEconomicsUrban–rural linkageConceptualizing Community Buy-in and Its Application to Urban Farming
2014Melissa N. Poulsen, Marie L. Spiker, Peter J. Winch · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Baltimore)
This study explored the perceived importance of community buy-in for urban farming, along with its barriers, facilitators, and strategies, through participant observation at urban farms and interviews with urban farmers, neighborhood leaders, residents, and key stakeholders in Baltimore, Maryland. Findings revealed that residents' unfamiliarity with urban farming, concerns about negative neighborhood impacts, and perceptions of urban farms as "outsider projects" were barriers to buy-in. Strategies for gaining buy-in were shown to follow three main phases: gaining entry into a neighborhood, introducing the urban farm idea, and engaging the neighborhood.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsPolicyGearing up to support urban farming in California: Preliminary results of a needs assessment
2014Rachel Surls, Gail Feenstra, Sheila Golden, Ryan E. Galt, Shermain Hardesty, Claire Napawan, Cheryl Wilen · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States (California)
Urban agriculture (UA) in California has been slower to gain momentum compared to other urban states, partly due to limited availability of relevant information and technical assistance for urban farmers and municipal decision-makers. A University of California Cooperative Extension project is developing web-based educational resources based on a needs assessment, which includes a literature review, an internal survey of personnel, and community interviews. Preliminary findings indicate challenges in supporting urban farming due to resource constraints and information gaps.
Governance failurePolicyEconomicsCommunityManagement models : AMS SUB Roof-Top Garden for productivity and community
2014Brittany Buchanan, Toby Lam, Bonnie Lee, Aldhyan Randy, Natasha Tymo · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This student project, part of the UBC Food Systems Project, researched human resource management strategies for the new Student Union Building (SUB) Rooftop Garden at the University of British Columbia. Through literature review and interviews, four management models were discussed. The group identified a student club model with incentives, potentially led by a directed studies or paid position, as a fitting starting point for motivating students to contribute to food production for campus outlets.
CommunityFood educationEconomicsAn investigation into waste heat recovery for usage by a rooftop greenhouse
2014Rohit Kumar Singla, Jeremy Lord, Jorden Hetherington · cIRcle (University of British Columbia) · Canada
This report conducted a triple-bottom line assessment of the environmental, economic, and social feasibility of using waste heat from a microbrewery at the University of British Columbia as an energy source for a rooftop greenhouse. The investigation was based on academic research and ongoing communication with the primary stakeholder. The project was found to be economically viable, with social benefits outweighing drawbacks, and environmentally feasible.
DIYEconomicsFood educationCommunitySetting the Table for Urban Agriculture
2014Margot J. Pollans · Pace Digital Repository (Pace University) · United States
This article examines the various roles law plays in the cultivation of urban agriculture. It argues that despite growing enthusiasm for urban agriculture, serious equity and ecological concerns exist within the forms of modern urban agriculture, recommending that careful strategic planning should align the implementation of available legal tools to address these concerns.
Equity & displacementPolicyCommunityEconomicsRosemount Urban Agriculture: Wholesale Markets Report
2014Amanda Nichols Hess, Annie Larson, D. D. Gilbertson, Elizabeth Cerny · University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy (University of Minnesota) · United States (Rosemount)
This report and presentation were completed by students enrolled in SUST 4004: Sustainable Communities, taught by Samantha Grover and Amir Nadav in fall 2014.
EconomicsUrban–rural linkageCooperatives and Alternative Food Systems Initiatives — and More
2014Duncan Hilchey · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States
A study in the late 1990s investigated small-scale grower cooperatives in the northeastern United States, which had annual sales of US$5 million or less. It found many barriers to growth, including managers' difficulties in balancing diverse member interests, meeting buyer standards, and operating in a high-cost, low-price business. The Northeast Federation of Family-Farm Cooperatives (NEFFCO), a proposed support group, did not last beyond its grant period, indicating challenges in sustaining such initiatives.
Economic viabilityCSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityPolicyInitiating and sustaining community gardens and community kitchens: A preliminary study in Nova Scotia
2014Tim Cashion, I. Forbes, Irena Knežević · · Canada
This preliminary study in Nova Scotia, Canada, explored the initiation and sustainability of community food initiatives through in-depth interviews with coordinators. The research identified that these initiatives are in a precarious state due to reliance on volunteers, land ownership issues, and a lack of consistent funding. Despite these challenges, they persist through community support and coordinator dedication.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsWelfarePolicyNarrative transparency
2014Melea Press, Eric J. Arnould · Journal of Marketing Management · United States
This paper examines how alternative marketing organizations communicate transparency amidst generalized risk and skepticism, using Community Supported Agriculture programs across the United States as context. It contrasts the traditional numeric approach to transparency, involving auditing and third-party certifications, with an alternative narrative transparency approach that emphasizes stakeholder dialogue and invites stakeholders to act as auditors. The article illustrates how alternative marketing organizations employ rhetorical tactics such as persona, allegory, consumer sovereignty, and enlightenment to communicate transparency to their stakeholders.
CSA & TeikeiEconomicsCommunityFrom Vacant Lots to Full Pantries: Urban Agriculture Programs and the American City
2014Jessica Owley, Tonya Lewis · · United States
This article explores land tenure concerns that can hinder urban agriculture development in American cities. It examines various property law tools, such as long-term leases, permits for city-owned land, and theoretical self-help nuisance concepts, used across the United States. The study highlights urban agricultural land trusts and partial property rights like conservation easements as particularly intriguing and widely applicable tools for meeting urban agricultural needs.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityFood Co‐ops and the Paradox of Exclusivity
2014Andrew Zitcer · Antipode · United States (Philadelphia)
This article explored the paradox of exclusivity in consumer food cooperatives in the United States, focusing on two food co-ops in Philadelphia, PA. The study found that exclusivity manifests in the co-ops' sales, business practices, and marketing, inadvertently excluding certain practices and people. This paradox hinders co-ops from fully realizing their transformative social and economic potential.
Equity & displacementCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsCommunity Food Production as Food Security: Resource and Economic Valuation in Madison, Wisconsin (USA)
2014Vincent M. Smith, John A. Harrington · Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development · United States (Madison)
This research explored the market value of community food production (CFP) in the Madison, Wisconsin, Urban Area, USA. The study measured and mapped the extent of CFP using a survey of 2,454 addresses and existing garden lists, and determined productive output from 36 test plots tended by citizen scientists. It found that the market value of gardening and garden-based programs, and their correlation to food-insecure communities, are not yet well understood.
CommunityFood educationEconomicsHealthHealth Motivation for Purchasing Local Foods in the Southeastern United States
2014Sudha Thapaliya, Matthew G. Interis, Alba J. Collart, Lurleen M. Walters, Kimberly L. Morgan, Thapaliya, Sudha, Interis, Matthew G., Collart, Alba J., Walters, Lurleen, Morgan, Kimberly L. · AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · United States
This study investigated health motivations for purchasing local foods among consumers in the Southeastern United States. It analyzed the effects of specific health variables, focusing on family illness incidences of six diseases (heart disease, diabetes, obesity, back/joint pain, Alzheimer/dementia, and cancer), on local food buying behavior. Using a binary probit model, findings indicated that a family history of cancer and obesity were statistically significant factors in purchasing local foods. Other important factors included a higher physical activity level, following a special diet, and the availability of farmers' markets.
HealthEconomicsCSA & TeikeiComplexity & Urban Agriculture
2014M. Ubarevicius · · United States (New York City)
An architectural project for urban agriculture was developed on the East River waterfront in Manhattan, New York City. Advanced simulation techniques and computational methods were used to optimize building organization and shape for efficient natural resource use, including greenhouses generating energy from river water and a building shape optimized for wind concentration. The building also integrates food production with storage, processing, distribution, education, preparation, and service functions.
DIYFood educationEconomicsClimate changeParticipatory Budgeting in the United States: A Preliminary Analysis of Chicago’s 49th Ward Experiment
2014LaShonda M. Stewart, Steven A. Miller, R. W. Hildreth, Maja V. Wright-Phillips · New Political Science · United States (Chicago)
A preliminary analysis of Chicago's 49th Ward, the first participatory budgeting experiment in the United States, examined whether it resulted in different budgetary priorities and met social justice outcomes. Citizens chose projects classified as low priority by research literature, and while there was no clear pattern of projects only in affluent areas, geographic clustering was evident. Select areas received projects like community gardens, while others were limited to infrastructure repairs, indicating mixed social justice outcomes.
Equity & displacementPolicyCommunityEconomicsHealthGAP Certification Takes a School Garden to the Next Level
2014Ben Hall · The Agricultural education magazine · United States (North Carolina)
The agriculture department at North Stokes High School in Danbury, North Carolina, operates a 3,500-square-foot production garden and a 600-square-foot hydroponic greenhouse. The school aims for commercial production and marketing, supplying its cafeteria, and thus obtained GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certification, developed by the USDA in 1998. GAP prevents microbial contamination of food through recordkeeping, irrigation water testing, documentation of manure and pesticide use, and worker training.
Food educationCommunityEconomicsBrooklyn's agrarian questions
2014Evan Weissman · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States (New York City)
This case study in Brooklyn, New York, used mixed qualitative research methods to investigate the political possibilities of urban agriculture for fostering food justice. Findings indicate that problematic contradictions rooted in the neoliberalization of urban agriculture limit the transformative possibilities of farming the city as currently practiced in Brooklyn. The study suggests that longstanding agrarian questions are informative for critically interrogating urban agriculture as a politicization of food.
Economic viabilityFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsPolicyCommunityUrban farming theme restaurant
2014Freeman Wu · · United States (Chicago)
This graduation project proposes an urban farming theme restaurant located in an abandoned industrial area in South Chicago. The design strategy focuses on using urban farming to activate the vacant site. The proposed building is an urban farming themed restaurant.
CommunityEconomicsUrban–rural linkageParadise Transplanted
2014Pierrette Hondagneu‐Sotelo · Boom · United States (Los Angeles)
This article recounts the history of a central Los Angeles community garden, primarily used by women from Southern Mexico and Central America, which served as an informal support network and a place to grow culturally significant plants. The essay then details the significant upheaval that occurred after a local nonprofit took over and invested in the garden, implying a negative impact on the existing community.
Equity & displacementCommunityWelfareEconomicsFeeding the City. Foodsheds and Urban Agriculture in San Diego
2014Claudia Mattogno, Manuela Ricci, Bruno Monardo, Pietro Antonio Valentino, Anna Laura Palazzo · IRIS Research product catalog (Sapienza University of Rome) · United States (San Diego)
This paper explores recent policies and planning practices for urban agriculture (UA) in the United States, particularly in California, focusing on its potential for urban revitalization and social inclusion. It examines strategies for agricultural re-use and rezoning of vacant urban areas within the context of 'healthy food access'. The experience in San Diego, CA's City Heights neighborhood demonstrates the potential of UA to combine social inclusion with physical and economic redevelopment.
PolicyEconomicsCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceHealthOutput and cost savings of community gardens in San Jose, California (132.7)
2014Susan J. Algert, Aziz Baameur · The FASEB Journal · United States (San Jose, California)
A study in community gardens in San Jose, California, from Spring to Summer 2012, evaluated a method for quantifying crop yields and cost savings. Eighty-three community gardeners completed a background survey, and a representative subset of 10 gardeners measured produce output from their plots over a four-month growing season. Results indicated that community gardens produced 0.75 lbs of vegetables per square foot, exceeding conventional agricultural practices at 0.60 lbs/sq ft. Gardens averaged 2.55 lbs per plant and resulted in $435 in cost savings per plot for the season.
CommunityEconomicsDIYImpact of marketing channels on perceptions of quality of life and profitability for Wisconsin's organic vegetable farmers
2014Erin Silva, Fengxia Dong, Paul D. Mitchell, John Hendrickson · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · United States (Wisconsin)
A survey of Wisconsin-certified organic vegetable farmers investigated the relationships between farm characteristics, marketing strategies, and farmers' perceptions of profitability and quality of life. The data indicated that farmers selling into farmers' markets and through community-supported agriculture (CSA) were more likely to be dissatisfied with their profitability. Conversely, farmers selling into wholesale markets and restaurants/institutions were significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with their quality of life.
Economic viabilityEconomicsCSA & TeikeiUrban–rural linkage