The lifeworlds of urban women farmers in sustainable agriculture

Abstract

There is a growing trend of women farmers in urban sustainable agriculture, known as Farmer Janes or One-Woman Farmers (Costa, 2010; USDA, 2012a). Women farmers are a bridge to the Great Turning, a paradigm shift focused on life-sustaining systems (Macy & Brown, 2014). They create alternative food paradigms that reduce the impact of climate change, regenerate soil, and heal their communities. However, in this process these women pay a high cost through self-exploitation and face several tensions based on race, class, and gender constructs in the United States (Pilgeram, 2011; Pilegram & Amos, 2015). This study seeks to understand the lifeworld experiences of women in urban sustainable agriculture and their unique challenges and opportunities. Drawing on the work of Alfred Schutz (Schutz & Luckman, 1973) as well as eco-feminist phenomenological principles (Martinez, 2014; Morad 2011; Shiva 1993; Stewart 2010), this study examines the experiences of eight women in the Washington, DC tristate area through interviews, written descriptions, and critical social theory analysis. The written phenomenological descriptions and Schutz puppets from this study reveal women have a strong internal capacity to face continuous challenges and personal tragedies. Urban farm women are paying high costs to run their farm businesses, making it clear that farmers are not receiving adequate support or benefits in return.

source: https://search.proquest.com/openview/dc933dd3f47b456056162736b0fc52fb/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y