Shifting Food Consciousness: Homesteading Blogs and The Inner Work of Food

Abstract

AbstractThis article explores the often overlooked work of growing food at home as food justice activism. It explores several questions, including: is home food production food activism/social justice work? How accessible is at-home food production? What are the assumptions and claims made by people who produce food at home, and what challenges do they face? Using an ecowomanist theoretical framework, the article analyzes blog posts written by four homesteading bloggers. It argues two points: that growing food at home shifts and develops a food consciousness, which leads to a more just relationship with food, and that the bloggers engage in intentional food production practices in order to bring more awareness to their individual interactions with all parts of the food system.