Local Food, Local Engagement

Community‐Supported Agriculture in Eastern Iowa

Bibliographic Data

ID18967455
AuthorsBrandi Janssen (0000-0002-7889-3633, University of Iowa, corresponding author)
Year2010
Volume32
Issue1
Pages4-16
Publication date2010-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCulture & Agriculture (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1048-4876 • E-ISSN: 1556-486X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1556-486x.2010.01031.x
OpenAlexW2092431796
LanguageEN
Citations received24
References cited13

This paper examines some of the daily realities of operating a Community‐Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm in eastern Iowa and addresses the concept of community among growers. Popular depictions of local foods systems often emphasize the close relationships that develop between producers and consumers. This picture, however, may gloss over the necessary complexities of a healthy local food system. CSA has been promoted as a direct marketing strategy for small‐scale growers and touted as a way of developing positive relationships between producers and consumers. Nevertheless, it is also important to understand that successful CSA initiatives are often reliant on a broad network of support that includes more than just growers and eaters. Ethnographic descriptions of CSA farms presented here show how involvement by media and other organizations contribute to successful CSAs as well as an overall concept of “civic agriculture.” These descriptions also show that access to affordable, reliable labor tends to be among the greatest challenges for CSA growers

Agriculture · Business · Customer engagement · Ethnography · Food security · Food systems · Geography · Local community · Political science · Social media · Sociology · Culinary Culture and Tourism · Organic Food and Agriculture · Urban Agriculture and Sustainability · Marketing

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