Individual Motivations and Impacts of Community Agriculture in Suburban Boston

Abstract

Urban and community agriculture projects have long been touted as harboring the cure for a range of social maladies, even as recent findings show that many such projects mainly benefit White, already economically secure people. Drawing on interviews from participants and staff members of a community farm, I examine how this farm fits into the overall narrative surrounding community agriculture, as well as the diverse motivations participants have for joining the farm and the impacts stemming from their involvement. Results show proximity and interest to be the most frequent motivations for initial involvement, while participants noted changes in eating habits and self-perceptions from their participation. Additionally, consistent with previous literature, I identify themes regarding participants' alignment with eco-habitus and issues of accessibility for certain populations. These findings open the door for further research on the interplay between motivation and impacts, and how that is influenced by farm operations.