La ferme familiale et le Terroir : élevage de porcs de race patrimoniale dans le Kentucky du Nord

Abstract

I argue that the concept of terroir is related to ideas about locally produced foods and health or wellbeing. Consumer demand for local foods and an emerging interest in terroir hold great potential for mobilizing meaningful social change related to food system sustainability, environmental stewardship, and community health. I explore the intersections of food and local agriculture with an emphasis on small-scale farms in Northern Kentucky. I also draw on my experiences as the co-owner of a small farm focused on heritage breeds. This work indicates that farmers and rural residents alike share a love and respect for the land that crosscuts economic, social, and historical divisions. An understanding of the articulations between alternative food production, agrarian identity, and entanglements beyond the human may illuminate successful approaches to locally derived sustainable food systems and grass-roots conservation efforts.