16 pages., via online journal., This study examines community economic development (CED) initiatives and focuses on
community shared agriculture (CSA) as an alternative form of farming to industrialized agriculture.
CSA connects the farmers directly with consumers, such that both farmers and consumers share the
benefits and risks involved in agriculture. The purpose of this study was to understand what
motivates individuals to become involved in a CSA and what involvement in CSA means for them.
As a point of departure, the ecological and social psychological problems associated with
industrialized agriculture are elucidated. Empowerment theory, social vitality, and sense of
community were used as conceptual frameworks. Data were collected on a community farm in
midwest Ontario using a participant-observer mode of inquiry and open-ended interviews. The
themes that emerged were categorized under empowerment, social vitality, and sense of
community.
32 pages., via online journal., Following the March 2017 wildfire devastation in Texas, Oklahoma, and
Kansas, local chapters of the National FFA Organization actively engaged
on social media to advocate for public response to the crisis. Twenty-three
public Facebook posts from FFA chapters and affiliates demonstrate members’
engagement with agricultural issues in the United States, disrupting the
generalization that young adults are disconnected from civic affairs.
However, while Facebook served as an important platform for members’
ag-vocacy in the wake of the crisis, FFA chapter posts contain embedded
traditional rural literacies, which are reflected in members’ collective
identification with existing supporters of agricultural communities. While
FFA chapters had the potential to advocate to a broad readership, the
posts reveal the chapters’ way of reading the crisis and writing a response
to it with an insular narrative. As a result, Facebook posts that target
only limited audiences and/or appeal to readers with exclusionary collective
identification result in the failure of entities, such as local FFA chapters,
to capitalize on Facebook’s full potential as an advocacy tool to inform and
engage large public audiences.
8 pages., Article # 4FEA2, via online journal., Elected officials, an audience essential to the relevance and funding of Extension, may lack knowledge of Extension's capacity to engage with them in solving local problems, building consensus, and improving strategic planning or governance. They may not consider that by collaborating with locally knowledgeable Extension professionals, they also gain access to broader university resources that can assist them in understanding community needs and obtaining relevant evidence-based recommendations. We describe how Extension and county officials and personnel implemented utilization-focused evaluation to inform county strategic planning,
budgeting, and governance, leading to continuous process improvement for the county and increased support for and understanding of Extension.
