| The dominant food system today is based on economies of scale, scientific and technological efficiency, mass production, intensive inputs, long distance transport, and the alienation of consumers from the people and places that feed them. Many individuals and communities have taken action to localize food systems to create more sustainable alternatives. Civic agriculture describes this localization movement. It emphasizes community engagement in the creation of place-based food system strategies that support ecological, social, and economic sustainability.; This thesis explores civic agriculture in both theory and practice, placing it within the local food systems discourse and investigating its nature and current extent in the state of Vermont. My findings, based on a survey of several hundred Vermonters with professional experience in local food systems work and thirteen follow-up interviews, indicate that there is increasing community engagement in a variety of civic agriculture initiatives. These include farm-to-school initiatives, food councils and committees, regional farm and food links, farmers' markets, community supported agriculture, producer and consumer cooperatives, community food security projects, and localvore or "eat local" challenges. Civic agriculture in Vermont involves a wide range of public, private, nonprofit, and community organizations. As public awareness grows about the economic, social, and environmental impacts of the corporate industrial food system, more and more Vermonters seek opportunities to strengthen local farm and food enterprises.; Although Vermont has a comparatively strong and growing local food movement, it faces several obstacles. A lack of local processing and storage facilities hampers producers who want to expand local markets. The state currently has no coherent food systems planning mechanism; there is a need for regional food planning that holistically addresses agriculture, food, and community development. Finally, greater efforts must be devoted to education and public outreach to broaden awareness and engage more people in public discussions of food issues. Civic agriculture offers a conceptual umbrella that encompasses all of these issues and provides an avenue for all people to become more active participants in the food system.; Keywords. civic agriculture, local food systems, food systems planning, food citizenship, community engagement. |
