Livestock Processing in the Sierra Foothills: An Evaluation of a Rural Development Project.

摘要

Tied to large-scale industrial agriculture, many rural California communities find their raw materials extracted at low values and processed elsewhere, leaving little of the economic advantage to locals. Rural economic challenges are compounded by limitations to tax revenue collected by local governments and an increasingly globalized economy in which communities have less control over production and consumption choices. In response to this, some community activists and federal, state, and local government officials have worked to further endogenous businesses and economic development projects as a way to create and sustain jobs and increase the local tax base. One such project is being explored in the Mother Lode region of the state. A group of food advocates, small- to mid-size ranchers, and retired professionals have formed a steering committee to determine the feasibility of developing a livestock processing facility to serve the region. Using participatory research methods, this thesis project documents and evaluates their process, focusing particularly on the social factors that influence the project. This includes the internal and external challenges the group faces and members' perceptions about the project's impact on the local community. The work is situated within the field of community-led rural economic development within the United States. It is posed as a tool to support future individuals or groups engaging in this work, and as a guide for rural community developers looking to understand how diverse groups work together to achieve collectively defined objectives.