Abstract

Local Food Networks and Activism in the Heartland, an interdisciplinary study on the dynamic changes taking place in local food systems, addresses many contemporary challenges. From the perspectives of the environment, economics, agriculture, anthropology, women’s studies, philosophy, sociology, the legal system and religion, examples of these challenges include the emergence of a community garden as a means of achieving social justice, improving human health with diets that include more locally-sourced food, keeping seeds local as an act of resilience, the growth of a fruit farm and creamery, legal and institutional issues in local food production, the moral foundations of the local food movement and many others. The book considers why farmers’ markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs and community gardens are growing in importance. In addition, the book considers why more households are making food consumption decisions based on the seasonal availability of food. Set in the agricultural heartland of the United States but relevant to everyone interested in local food networks and activism, Local Food Network’s many voices address the theme that local food networks improve the cultural, economic and social balance of a given community.