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The food self-sufficiency gradient of farm families in three Canadian provinces
Dr. Lynn McIntyreKrista Rondeau
University of Calgary
Canadian Public Health Association 2008 Annual ConferenceHalifax, NS
June 3, 2008
Food Provisioning Study
Food provisioning includes: acquisition, preparation, distribution, and consumption of food that draws on personal, family and community resources and supports. It is a lens into the daily lived experience.
Self-sufficiency draws upon acquisition & preparation
Characteristics of farmwomen regardless of level of self-sufficiency
Strong support of local markets
Many have a personal agricultural exchange network for acquiring food
The majority consume the commodity they produce (dairy exception)
OBJECTIVE:
To examine the food acquisition strategies of farmwomen in the context of food self-sufficiency
Methodology
Purposive sampling of farmwomen on a beef, dairy or other commodity farm and who had at least two children under the age of 18 years living at home.
Semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 22 farm women: 6 in Alberta, 6 in Ontario, and 10 in Nova Scotia.
NVivo7 iterative coding
Participants
Type of farm
- Beef / Bison (7)- Dairy (7)- Mixed, incl beef (4)- Other (4)
Ave. age of women - 41.7 (25 – 50) Y- 64% post-sec ed
Children living in household < 18Y
- 10.0Y, n = 2.4, 0–5
Farms with off-farm income
- 13/22 (59%)
Results
Self-sufficiency gradient – Acquisition strategies
Grocery store
Local market:
farmer’s markets, fruit stands, U-pick; money exchanged
Agricultural exchange network: barter
Garden: personal garden, fruits
Commodity: farm’s
Advanced food prod. – animal: raises/hunts/fishes animals for family’s consumption
Advanced food prod – processing: canning, freezing, preserves, bread, maple syrup
Food acquisition strategies
Grocery store Local market
Agricultural exchange network
Garden Commodity
Advanced food
production - animals
Advanced food
production – processing
363
189 SS
799 SS
809
319
292
422
545 SS
158 SS
894 SS
680 SS
931 SS
723 SS
360 SS
453 SS
188 SS
169 SS
218
738 SS
691
606 SS
123 SS
Totals 22 20 17 11+4 18 12 17
Alberta Ontario Nova Scotia
Agricultural exchange network
NS: People who hunt on their land give them some wild meat- Family members share if they go hunting- Use space on daughter's property to raise fish- Bee hives on land; get honey in exchange
ON: Trades sweet corn for beef with neighbour
AB: Small garden on her property that is cared for by mother-in-law and daughter; - canning and pickling done by daughter and mother-in-law
Garden
11+4
Having a garden is strongly associated with having enough time to plant and tend the garden.
Lack of time is reported as a reason that many have having stopped a garden.
Lack of time may be due to:•having children•children leaving the home•loss of extended family who helped out•off-farm employment (farmwoman)
Garden as Transition
As children grow up and start to leave the home, there appears to be a reduction in gardening and advanced food production strategies due to the loss of children’s help in maintaining the garden.
Alberta, N = 6 (n)
Ontario, N = 6 (n)
Nova Scotia, N = 10 (n)
Advanced food production – animals
1 4 7
Advanced food production – processing and preservation
2 4 8
Both 1 3 7
Advanced Food Production
Factors related to self-sufficiency
Nova Scotia > Ontario > Alberta
Farmwomen who have a GARDEN and WHO ENJOY GARDENING
Have a strong arsenal of FOOD SKILLS available to them, including personal and family/extended family.
Strong BELIEF that locally produced foods (self- or local farmer) and cooking from scratch is better for you.
Factors unrelated to self-sufficiency
Off-farm employment
Type of farm (mixed vs. single commodity)
Other determinants of food self-sufficiency:
perception of relative cost savings, physical environment (climate, land, space, and equipment), and government regulations concerning personal food production
Conclusion
Subsistence agriculture is uncommon among Canadian farm families although many demonstrate components of food self-sufficiency in a gradient. A number of social and physical determinants influence farm families’ ability to provide food for their households.
Thanks to the women who participated and to Bonnie Anderson, NS interviewerThis study was partially funded by PrioNet and APRI through a grant received by Co-Principal Investigators Wilfreda Thurston and Carol Amaratunga.
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