Unconventional Agriculture How Farmer-to-Farmer Networks Support Sustainable Communities: A Study of the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota

摘要

As the public's interest in local and sustainably-produced food continues to grow, farmer organizations throughout the country are working to develop and spread more sustainable methods of farming for producers. To better understand how these groups can promote alternatives to industrialized food systems, I conducted a study of the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota (SFA). SFA is farmer-led and encompasses a state-level organization along with nine geographic chapters across Minnesota. Their organizational structure serves as the framework of their "community network" through which they connect farmers and disseminate the wisdom of their sustainable farming communities. My study involved interviews with members of three local SFA chapters, observations of chapter activities, and an interview with SFA's Network Coordinator. Through this research, I was able to observe how interdependent relationships between local SFA chapter members, as well as between local chapters and the state-level SFA, support sustainable agriculture within the state.