The ntersection of agricultural sustainability and new farmer education: A sociohistorical analysis

Abstract

The literature in sociology and rural studies suggests that since the industrialized agro-food system continues to dominate the influence of production and marketing towards a global trajectory, the flow of information and opportunity pertaining to agriculture and rural development is predominantly oriented along this same path. In this view, some authors argue that in order to have sustainable agricultural development, we need to have an alternative system of research and education, one that contrasts with the way the US public system of agriculture has operated for the past 50 years. This paper examines “new farmer” education as one such alternative to the industrial extension project developed by a number of agricultural organizations providing sites of learning and resource for new kinds of agriculturists, particularly farmers engaged in alternative food systems. While it appears new farmer education is informed by the sustainable agriculture movement, it remains uncertain as to what this expression looks like and what purpose it serves. By reviewing the sociological and educational literature, this paper investigates the structural and cultural patterns that contribute to the formation of new farmer education since the Second World War. Thus, the paper further elucidates the ideological and discursive forces constituting and challenging new farmer education. Insights are offered for future in-depth studies of the implications of sustainable agricultural education and policy from political economy, epistemological, feminist, and new social movement perspectives.