Dr. Marcia Ostrom is an Associate Professor in the School of the Environment and Extension in the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences at Washington State University (WSU). She teaches courses on agroecology, food movements, and environment and society. Address: Wenatchee, Washington, United States
Few studies have been conducted on the extent and nature of silvopasture usage in Washington stat... more Few studies have been conducted on the extent and nature of silvopasture usage in Washington state. The goal of this research was to investigate the livestock, forages, and tree composition of the silvopasture systems currently being utilized and landowner goals for these systems. To accomplish this, we conducted a statewide survey administered via interviews of practitioners to determine the social, economic, and ecological drivers and demographics of farmers utilizing silvopasture. To identify landowners using silvopasture and gain insights into its perceived usage and impacts, we contacted and interviewed multiple state and federal agency representatives. The farms identified for the study ranged from 2 to 1100 acres in size and found on both sides of the Cascades. Of the 19 landowners utilizing silvopasture, 100% had goals of diversifying revenue streams and incorporating ecosystem services into their management systems. Benefits cited by practitioners included regular revenue streams from forest products and livestock sales. The challenges identified included limited regionally specific literature and a lack of trained professionals familiar with silvopasture and associated best management practices. This research provided evidence that landowners are utilizing and adapting silvopasture systems to a broad array of bioregions within Washington state to meet their objectives. The ecological adaptability of silvopasture is demonstrated by the variety of trees, forage, and livestock combinations found throughout the study sites. For silvopasture to advance as a land management practice in this region, our research showed the need for further studies to occur to determine the best practices, economic viability, and ecological effects of silvopasture.
In a time of shrinking public budgets, determining the most appropriate Land Grant University (LG... more In a time of shrinking public budgets, determining the most appropriate Land Grant University (LGU) response to expanding crises in the agri-food system has critical implications. Is the most effective role for public scientists to develop cutting-edge technologies that enable industrially organized farms to improve production efficiencies and compete more favorably in global markets? What is the distinctive function of
This paper examines trends in the attitudes, behaviors, and meanings associated with food consump... more This paper examines trends in the attitudes, behaviors, and meanings associated with food consumption in the northwestern United States. Particular attention is focused on the potential of various mobilizing frameworks to inspire individual and collective action to overcome substantial structural barriers to enhancing agri-food system sustainability. Research across the full spectrum of food system participants suggests emerging opportunities to reshape conventional, globally organized market relationships through the development of alternative, place-based food system linkages. However, research also reveals a complex array of motivations for participation in such efforts and key vulnerabilities and obstacles. The results of random sample consumer telephone polls, farmer surveys, and analysis of alternative marketing initiatives conducted over an eightyear period in Washington State indicate steady growth in the numbers of consumers, farmers, non-profits, and institutional food buy...
In the United States, the Land-Grant University (LGU) Extension System originated to serve a prim... more In the United States, the Land-Grant University (LGU) Extension System originated to serve a primarily rural and agricultural population. In the intervening 100 years, however, Extension’s programming has expanded in keeping with key demographic shifts and now includes suburban and urban audiences as well as a broad array of food system-related topics. While urban agriculture Extension is relatively new terminology, it is important to recognize that urban agriculture itself is centuries old and Extension support for urban agriculture and community food systems also has deep roots. However, to be an effective actor in the urban food system, Extension must adapt its approach to community engagement to recognize the knowledge and strengths that exist within urban communities, engage in reciprocal partnerships and participatory processes, and be open to engaging with the full suite of social, cultural, political, and economic issues that that both challenge and motivate many urban agriculture initiatives. Urban agroecology provides a useful framework for conceptualizing a more participatory form of Extension. Results from a survey of Extension practitioners and case studies of Extension urban agriculture programming show examples of the role that publicly-supported LGUs can play in the creation and sharing of urban agroecological knowledge when engaged at the community level.
In the last few decades, the emergence of mid-scale, intermediated marketing channels that fall b... more In the last few decades, the emergence of mid-scale, intermediated marketing channels that fall between commodity and direct markets has attracted growing interest from scholars for their potential to preserve small and mid-sized farms while scaling up alternative agrifood sourcing. When such mid-scale supply chains are formed among multiple business partners with shared ethics or values related to the qualities of the food and the business relationships along the supply chain, they may be termed “values-based supply chains (VBSCs).” Most of the research on VBSCs to date has relied primarily on a case study approach that investigates the performance of VBSCs from the perspective of VBSC founders or leaders. In contrast, this research seeks out the perspectives of farmers who participate in VBSCs. A nationwide farmer survey conducted in 2017 offers original insights on farmer motivations for participating in VBSCs and how they are being used by farmers relative to other marketing cha...
The number of farmers markets in the United States has increased dramatically in recent decades. ... more The number of farmers markets in the United States has increased dramatically in recent decades. A visible exemplar of efforts to capture more value for farmers and communities by relinking food production and consumption, farmers markets offer a window into the values and dynamics of alternative food movements. Research in Washington State found that half of farmer participants, 73% of market managers, and over 70% of shoppers are women. While a highly gendered division of labor is typical of mainstream agri-food systems, few scholars have critically examined these aspects of alternative food chains. We conclude that understanding farmers markets as intersecting, gendered spaces is critical to analyzing their potential contributions to food systems change and enhancing women's lives and livelihoods.
Anniversaries and funding crises prompt periodic calls to reevaluate the mission and public perce... more Anniversaries and funding crises prompt periodic calls to reevaluate the mission and public perceptions of the U.S. Land-Grant University system. One such call was issued by the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State Colleges and Land Grant Universities in their 1999 report, "Returning to Our Roots: the Engaged Institution." Written by leaders of state universities and land-grant colleges, this report urges these institutions to engage more authentically and equitably in two-way relationships with their local constituents. Twenty years later, Land-Grant Universities continue to struggle with building widespread public support for their missions and equitable involvement in research, teaching, and extension functions across diverse constituencies. While largely discounted by the Kellogg Commission, a fresh look at the role originally envisioned for the extension arm of the trifold land-grant mandate suggests that we may be conceiving of this system too narrowly. The establishment of statewide extension systems was once seen as a way to ensure that Land-Grant Universities would be accessible and responsive to all of a state's residents. Extension systems continue to offer a front-door to a major public university in almost every county of the United States, but they tend to be viewed primarily as a way to translate science or distribute information from the university to the public. This discussion uses a historical and modern lens to reimagine the role that Extension could potentially play in catalyzing reciprocal, co-learning relationships between Land-Grant Universities and their diverse local constituencies.
International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food, 2017
Growing demand for local and organic food sourcing in the EU and the US has inspired inquiry into... more Growing demand for local and organic food sourcing in the EU and the US has inspired inquiry into mid-level food supply chains that can distribute differentiated foods at a regional level in the relational and market space between large-scale commodity markets and direct markets. Values-based food chains (VBFCs) have been identified as a particular type of mid-tier supply chain formed through creating alliances between producers and their supply chain partners to distribute significant volumes of high-quality, differentiated food products while maintaining transparent relationships and fair distribution of revenues. The values associated with VBFCs may be social, cultural, economic, environmental or quality related; they may be linked to the products, the production process, and/ or the characteristics of the relationships among the supply chain participants. This introduction to the Special Issue contextualizes empirical studies from the EU and North America and compares the VBFC framework with other approaches to understanding food system change.
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2011
This introductory discussion positions midscale food value chains as business models for a "third... more This introductory discussion positions midscale food value chains as business models for a "third tier" in the U. S. food system, distinct from direct marketing to local consumers and global marketing of agricultural commodities. Responding to a growing demand for food that is differentiated from conventional products, midscale food value chains are developing strategic business alliances among small and medium sized farms or ranches and other agri-food enterprises. These supply chain alliances: (a) handle significant volumes of high-quality, differentiated food products; (b) operate effectively at regional, multistate levels; and (c) distribute profits equitably among the strategic partners. Value chain business models place emphasis on both the values associated with the food and the values associated with the business relationships within the food supply chain. Farmers and ranchers are treated as strategic partners, not as interchangeable input suppliers. Midscale food value chains employ two distinct, multifarm marketing strategies: direct-to-wholesale and direct-to-consumer. Both marketing strategies are based on organizational structures that achieve the necessary volumes of high-quality, differentiated food by aggregating product from multiple farms or ranches. The introduction concludes with a discussion of the challenges associated with developing successful midscale food value chains and of needed research and public policies to support the growth of this third tier.
International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food, 2017
Food distribution systems referred to as box schemes have gained a foothold in organic markets ac... more Food distribution systems referred to as box schemes have gained a foothold in organic markets across Europe and North America. This model has the potential to scale up direct-marketing strategies by aggregating products from multiple producers and efficiently assembling and delivering them on a regular basis to large networks of consumers. Box scheme organizers generally seek to attract regular customers based on the distinctive attributes and values associated with their products and their unique business model that attempts to build long-term relationships between consumers and farmers. This article explores the organizational dynamics of five large, multi-farm box schemes in relation to their stated values and organizational strategies using cases from Sweden, Denmark, Austria, and the United States. Different aspects of ecological and social embeddedness are considered and analysed for the five cases based on their stated values and their organizational strategies, including to what degree non-economic values are identified, communicated , and applied throughout the supply chain. The value of geographical proximity is examined with respect to the tension created by consumer demand for variety throughout the seasons and the spatial organization of sourcing and distribution that such a system entails. Additionally, the organizational challenges encountered by box schemes during periods of rapid growth are compared and contrasted with respect to the different organizational strategies employed across the five cases. This article seeks to contribute to the research literature by analysing box schemes as an institutional innovation that can potentially bridge the Marcia Ostrom is Associate Professor at the School of the Environment and the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources,
AgroEcological Transitions: Changes and Breakthroughs in the Making, 2017
This chapter examines trends in the attitudes and behaviors surrounding food consumption and food... more This chapter examines trends in the attitudes and behaviors surrounding food consumption and food sourcing in the northwestern United States, their social movement dimensions, and the potential outcomes for structural change. Research across the full spectrum of food system actors suggests promising opportunities to reshape conventional agri-food production and market relationships, however, it also reveals a complex array of motivations for participation in alternative food initiatives (AFIs) and key vulnerabilities and obstacles to lasting change. This chapter utilizes current theoretical understandings of the globalization of the food system and the dynamics of social movements as a basis for investigating the configurations, tactics, and effectiveness of locally driven initiatives and their outcomes for improving agri-food system sustainability Structural barriers to systems-level change are identified and the potential of various mobilizing frameworks to overcome them are discussed. A social movements theoretical framework will be utilized to investigate the role of consumer ideological orientations and the effectiveness of local agri-food initiatives in driving larger food system innovation and institutional change. The results of random sample consumer telephone polling, farmer surveys, and participatory research with AFIs in Washington State will be analyzed to address underlying questions about the motivations and values-basis of food system participation. The motivational frames, behaviors, and movement orientations of various actors within the food system, including consumers, farmers, AFI organizers and institutional actors, will be analyzed to determine their degree of frame alignment with the goals of agri-food system sustainability and the potential for collective action.
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2019
Renewed public interest in the localized dimensions of food and farming systems offers opportunit... more Renewed public interest in the localized dimensions of food and farming systems offers opportunities for citizens to become more engaged in decision making about how their food is produced, distributed, and consumed, and, for all these actions, by whom.This paper explores an initiative designed to reinvigorate the production components of a place-based, regional food system through connecting diverse aspiring entrepreneurial farmers, nonprofit organizations, land grant university faculty, and food consumers around shared values. The characteristics that distinguish values based food systems can be sets of values associated with environmentally sustainable production practices, the qualities of the food, the distribution of the food, and/or relationships with particular farmers and places (Ostrom, DeMaster, Noe, & Schermer, 2017). Based on interviews and participant observation, our participatory research with the Viva Farms bilingual farm incubator program explores the role of place, social, and environmental values, and social learning in launching an incoming generation of women, immigrant, and low income farmers. Six years into the program, our findings show that 77 percent of past program participants were still farming in the same region, using agroecological farming practices and employing place-based marketing strategies.
Few studies have been conducted on the extent and nature of silvopasture usage in Washington stat... more Few studies have been conducted on the extent and nature of silvopasture usage in Washington state. The goal of this research was to investigate the livestock, forages, and tree composition of the silvopasture systems currently being utilized and landowner goals for these systems. To accomplish this, we conducted a statewide survey administered via interviews of practitioners to determine the social, economic, and ecological drivers and demographics of farmers utilizing silvopasture. To identify landowners using silvopasture and gain insights into its perceived usage and impacts, we contacted and interviewed multiple state and federal agency representatives. The farms identified for the study ranged from 2 to 1100 acres in size and found on both sides of the Cascades. Of the 19 landowners utilizing silvopasture, 100% had goals of diversifying revenue streams and incorporating ecosystem services into their management systems. Benefits cited by practitioners included regular revenue streams from forest products and livestock sales. The challenges identified included limited regionally specific literature and a lack of trained professionals familiar with silvopasture and associated best management practices. This research provided evidence that landowners are utilizing and adapting silvopasture systems to a broad array of bioregions within Washington state to meet their objectives. The ecological adaptability of silvopasture is demonstrated by the variety of trees, forage, and livestock combinations found throughout the study sites. For silvopasture to advance as a land management practice in this region, our research showed the need for further studies to occur to determine the best practices, economic viability, and ecological effects of silvopasture.
In a time of shrinking public budgets, determining the most appropriate Land Grant University (LG... more In a time of shrinking public budgets, determining the most appropriate Land Grant University (LGU) response to expanding crises in the agri-food system has critical implications. Is the most effective role for public scientists to develop cutting-edge technologies that enable industrially organized farms to improve production efficiencies and compete more favorably in global markets? What is the distinctive function of
This paper examines trends in the attitudes, behaviors, and meanings associated with food consump... more This paper examines trends in the attitudes, behaviors, and meanings associated with food consumption in the northwestern United States. Particular attention is focused on the potential of various mobilizing frameworks to inspire individual and collective action to overcome substantial structural barriers to enhancing agri-food system sustainability. Research across the full spectrum of food system participants suggests emerging opportunities to reshape conventional, globally organized market relationships through the development of alternative, place-based food system linkages. However, research also reveals a complex array of motivations for participation in such efforts and key vulnerabilities and obstacles. The results of random sample consumer telephone polls, farmer surveys, and analysis of alternative marketing initiatives conducted over an eightyear period in Washington State indicate steady growth in the numbers of consumers, farmers, non-profits, and institutional food buy...
In the United States, the Land-Grant University (LGU) Extension System originated to serve a prim... more In the United States, the Land-Grant University (LGU) Extension System originated to serve a primarily rural and agricultural population. In the intervening 100 years, however, Extension’s programming has expanded in keeping with key demographic shifts and now includes suburban and urban audiences as well as a broad array of food system-related topics. While urban agriculture Extension is relatively new terminology, it is important to recognize that urban agriculture itself is centuries old and Extension support for urban agriculture and community food systems also has deep roots. However, to be an effective actor in the urban food system, Extension must adapt its approach to community engagement to recognize the knowledge and strengths that exist within urban communities, engage in reciprocal partnerships and participatory processes, and be open to engaging with the full suite of social, cultural, political, and economic issues that that both challenge and motivate many urban agriculture initiatives. Urban agroecology provides a useful framework for conceptualizing a more participatory form of Extension. Results from a survey of Extension practitioners and case studies of Extension urban agriculture programming show examples of the role that publicly-supported LGUs can play in the creation and sharing of urban agroecological knowledge when engaged at the community level.
In the last few decades, the emergence of mid-scale, intermediated marketing channels that fall b... more In the last few decades, the emergence of mid-scale, intermediated marketing channels that fall between commodity and direct markets has attracted growing interest from scholars for their potential to preserve small and mid-sized farms while scaling up alternative agrifood sourcing. When such mid-scale supply chains are formed among multiple business partners with shared ethics or values related to the qualities of the food and the business relationships along the supply chain, they may be termed “values-based supply chains (VBSCs).” Most of the research on VBSCs to date has relied primarily on a case study approach that investigates the performance of VBSCs from the perspective of VBSC founders or leaders. In contrast, this research seeks out the perspectives of farmers who participate in VBSCs. A nationwide farmer survey conducted in 2017 offers original insights on farmer motivations for participating in VBSCs and how they are being used by farmers relative to other marketing cha...
The number of farmers markets in the United States has increased dramatically in recent decades. ... more The number of farmers markets in the United States has increased dramatically in recent decades. A visible exemplar of efforts to capture more value for farmers and communities by relinking food production and consumption, farmers markets offer a window into the values and dynamics of alternative food movements. Research in Washington State found that half of farmer participants, 73% of market managers, and over 70% of shoppers are women. While a highly gendered division of labor is typical of mainstream agri-food systems, few scholars have critically examined these aspects of alternative food chains. We conclude that understanding farmers markets as intersecting, gendered spaces is critical to analyzing their potential contributions to food systems change and enhancing women's lives and livelihoods.
Anniversaries and funding crises prompt periodic calls to reevaluate the mission and public perce... more Anniversaries and funding crises prompt periodic calls to reevaluate the mission and public perceptions of the U.S. Land-Grant University system. One such call was issued by the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State Colleges and Land Grant Universities in their 1999 report, "Returning to Our Roots: the Engaged Institution." Written by leaders of state universities and land-grant colleges, this report urges these institutions to engage more authentically and equitably in two-way relationships with their local constituents. Twenty years later, Land-Grant Universities continue to struggle with building widespread public support for their missions and equitable involvement in research, teaching, and extension functions across diverse constituencies. While largely discounted by the Kellogg Commission, a fresh look at the role originally envisioned for the extension arm of the trifold land-grant mandate suggests that we may be conceiving of this system too narrowly. The establishment of statewide extension systems was once seen as a way to ensure that Land-Grant Universities would be accessible and responsive to all of a state's residents. Extension systems continue to offer a front-door to a major public university in almost every county of the United States, but they tend to be viewed primarily as a way to translate science or distribute information from the university to the public. This discussion uses a historical and modern lens to reimagine the role that Extension could potentially play in catalyzing reciprocal, co-learning relationships between Land-Grant Universities and their diverse local constituencies.
International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food, 2017
Growing demand for local and organic food sourcing in the EU and the US has inspired inquiry into... more Growing demand for local and organic food sourcing in the EU and the US has inspired inquiry into mid-level food supply chains that can distribute differentiated foods at a regional level in the relational and market space between large-scale commodity markets and direct markets. Values-based food chains (VBFCs) have been identified as a particular type of mid-tier supply chain formed through creating alliances between producers and their supply chain partners to distribute significant volumes of high-quality, differentiated food products while maintaining transparent relationships and fair distribution of revenues. The values associated with VBFCs may be social, cultural, economic, environmental or quality related; they may be linked to the products, the production process, and/ or the characteristics of the relationships among the supply chain participants. This introduction to the Special Issue contextualizes empirical studies from the EU and North America and compares the VBFC framework with other approaches to understanding food system change.
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2011
This introductory discussion positions midscale food value chains as business models for a "third... more This introductory discussion positions midscale food value chains as business models for a "third tier" in the U. S. food system, distinct from direct marketing to local consumers and global marketing of agricultural commodities. Responding to a growing demand for food that is differentiated from conventional products, midscale food value chains are developing strategic business alliances among small and medium sized farms or ranches and other agri-food enterprises. These supply chain alliances: (a) handle significant volumes of high-quality, differentiated food products; (b) operate effectively at regional, multistate levels; and (c) distribute profits equitably among the strategic partners. Value chain business models place emphasis on both the values associated with the food and the values associated with the business relationships within the food supply chain. Farmers and ranchers are treated as strategic partners, not as interchangeable input suppliers. Midscale food value chains employ two distinct, multifarm marketing strategies: direct-to-wholesale and direct-to-consumer. Both marketing strategies are based on organizational structures that achieve the necessary volumes of high-quality, differentiated food by aggregating product from multiple farms or ranches. The introduction concludes with a discussion of the challenges associated with developing successful midscale food value chains and of needed research and public policies to support the growth of this third tier.
International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food, 2017
Food distribution systems referred to as box schemes have gained a foothold in organic markets ac... more Food distribution systems referred to as box schemes have gained a foothold in organic markets across Europe and North America. This model has the potential to scale up direct-marketing strategies by aggregating products from multiple producers and efficiently assembling and delivering them on a regular basis to large networks of consumers. Box scheme organizers generally seek to attract regular customers based on the distinctive attributes and values associated with their products and their unique business model that attempts to build long-term relationships between consumers and farmers. This article explores the organizational dynamics of five large, multi-farm box schemes in relation to their stated values and organizational strategies using cases from Sweden, Denmark, Austria, and the United States. Different aspects of ecological and social embeddedness are considered and analysed for the five cases based on their stated values and their organizational strategies, including to what degree non-economic values are identified, communicated , and applied throughout the supply chain. The value of geographical proximity is examined with respect to the tension created by consumer demand for variety throughout the seasons and the spatial organization of sourcing and distribution that such a system entails. Additionally, the organizational challenges encountered by box schemes during periods of rapid growth are compared and contrasted with respect to the different organizational strategies employed across the five cases. This article seeks to contribute to the research literature by analysing box schemes as an institutional innovation that can potentially bridge the Marcia Ostrom is Associate Professor at the School of the Environment and the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources,
AgroEcological Transitions: Changes and Breakthroughs in the Making, 2017
This chapter examines trends in the attitudes and behaviors surrounding food consumption and food... more This chapter examines trends in the attitudes and behaviors surrounding food consumption and food sourcing in the northwestern United States, their social movement dimensions, and the potential outcomes for structural change. Research across the full spectrum of food system actors suggests promising opportunities to reshape conventional agri-food production and market relationships, however, it also reveals a complex array of motivations for participation in alternative food initiatives (AFIs) and key vulnerabilities and obstacles to lasting change. This chapter utilizes current theoretical understandings of the globalization of the food system and the dynamics of social movements as a basis for investigating the configurations, tactics, and effectiveness of locally driven initiatives and their outcomes for improving agri-food system sustainability Structural barriers to systems-level change are identified and the potential of various mobilizing frameworks to overcome them are discussed. A social movements theoretical framework will be utilized to investigate the role of consumer ideological orientations and the effectiveness of local agri-food initiatives in driving larger food system innovation and institutional change. The results of random sample consumer telephone polling, farmer surveys, and participatory research with AFIs in Washington State will be analyzed to address underlying questions about the motivations and values-basis of food system participation. The motivational frames, behaviors, and movement orientations of various actors within the food system, including consumers, farmers, AFI organizers and institutional actors, will be analyzed to determine their degree of frame alignment with the goals of agri-food system sustainability and the potential for collective action.
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2019
Renewed public interest in the localized dimensions of food and farming systems offers opportunit... more Renewed public interest in the localized dimensions of food and farming systems offers opportunities for citizens to become more engaged in decision making about how their food is produced, distributed, and consumed, and, for all these actions, by whom.This paper explores an initiative designed to reinvigorate the production components of a place-based, regional food system through connecting diverse aspiring entrepreneurial farmers, nonprofit organizations, land grant university faculty, and food consumers around shared values. The characteristics that distinguish values based food systems can be sets of values associated with environmentally sustainable production practices, the qualities of the food, the distribution of the food, and/or relationships with particular farmers and places (Ostrom, DeMaster, Noe, & Schermer, 2017). Based on interviews and participant observation, our participatory research with the Viva Farms bilingual farm incubator program explores the role of place, social, and environmental values, and social learning in launching an incoming generation of women, immigrant, and low income farmers. Six years into the program, our findings show that 77 percent of past program participants were still farming in the same region, using agroecological farming practices and employing place-based marketing strategies.
Food and agriculture are in the news daily. Stories in the media highlight issues of abundance, d... more Food and agriculture are in the news daily. Stories in the media highlight issues of abundance, deprivation, pleasure, risk, health, community, and identity. Remaking the North American Food System examines the resurgence of interest in rebuilding the links between agricultural production and food consumption as a way to overcome some of the negative implications of industrial and globalizing trends in the food and agricultural system. Written by a diverse group of scholars and practitioners, the chapters in this volume describe the many efforts throughout North America to craft and sustain alternative food systems that can improve social, economic, environmental, and health outcomes. With examples from Puerto Rico to Oregon to Quebec, this volume offers a broad North American perspective attuned to trends toward globalization at the level of markets and governance and shows how globalization affects the specific localities. The contributors make the case that food can no longer be taken for granted or viewed in isolation. Rather, food should be considered in its connection to community vitality, cultural survival, economic development, social justice, environmental quality, ecological integrity, and human health.
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Papers by Marcia Ostrom
of a place-based, regional food system through connecting diverse aspiring entrepreneurial farmers, nonprofit organizations, land grant university faculty, and food consumers around shared values. The characteristics that distinguish values based food systems can be sets of values associated with environmentally sustainable production practices, the qualities of the food, the distribution of the food, and/or relationships with particular farmers and places (Ostrom, DeMaster, Noe, & Schermer, 2017). Based on interviews and participant observation, our participatory research with the Viva Farms bilingual farm incubator program explores the role of place, social, and environmental values, and social learning in launching an incoming generation of women, immigrant, and low income farmers. Six years into the program, our findings show that 77 percent of past program participants were still farming in the same region, using agroecological farming practices and employing place-based marketing strategies.
of a place-based, regional food system through connecting diverse aspiring entrepreneurial farmers, nonprofit organizations, land grant university faculty, and food consumers around shared values. The characteristics that distinguish values based food systems can be sets of values associated with environmentally sustainable production practices, the qualities of the food, the distribution of the food, and/or relationships with particular farmers and places (Ostrom, DeMaster, Noe, & Schermer, 2017). Based on interviews and participant observation, our participatory research with the Viva Farms bilingual farm incubator program explores the role of place, social, and environmental values, and social learning in launching an incoming generation of women, immigrant, and low income farmers. Six years into the program, our findings show that 77 percent of past program participants were still farming in the same region, using agroecological farming practices and employing place-based marketing strategies.