- SFSS member Julia Valliant is among six awardees of new ISDA Specialty Crop Grant for research helping to identify the steps needed to establish an Indiana-based supply chain for Indiana grown chestnuts, hazelnuts, pecans and walnuts by conducting a supply chain assessment and hosting grower education workshops. The focus will be on the feasibility of building Indiana’s nut aggregation and processing capacity, to increase the amount of value created by Indiana grown nuts. Learn more about the grant and the other awardees here. Dec 3, 2020.
- SFSS memebers Stacey Giroux, Jorden Blecking, and Kurt Waldman were published this week by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) with an article titled Informal Vendors and Food Systems Planning in an Emerging African City. The article is based on fieldwork they did in Zambia in the Summer of 2019 and brings in the expertise of a policy expert from IFPRI. Nov. 18, 2020.
- In an article recently published in Taylor and Francis Online, SFSS members Dan Knudson and Angela Babb, along with a talented undergraduate cohort, outline a new approach to mapping food access in the U.S, comparing the standard USDA approach to a method that examines differences between actual food outlet locations and optimal locations, as defined by a covering model. Check out the article here to learn more. Nov 17, 2020.
- SFSS member Sarah Osterhoudt was published this week in Sapiens magazine. Read her piece titled, "The Pandemic and the Process of Becoming," in which she reflects on parenting and the liminal nature of these uncertain times here. Nov 12, 2020.
- SFSS memberJulia Valliant presented a talk this week called “Beginning Farmer and Rancher Land Access: The Landowner Side of the Coin” during a session about farm and ranch transfers to the Emerging Research on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers conference of USDA-ERS and the Farm Foundation. Nov 10, 2020.
- In situations of uncertainty, people often make decisions with heuristic shortcuts or decision rules, rather than using computational or logical methods such as optimizing their behavior based on specific goals. In an article recently published in Environmental Research Letters, SFSS members Kurt Waldman, Stacey Giroux, and Jordan Blekking examine how, while the high level of uncertainty and complexity involved in adapting to climate change would suggest that heuristics would be commonly used in this context, farmers demonstrate an orientation toward decision making as a rational utility-maximizing process, despite decades of research indicating otherwise. You can find the full article here. Nov 2, 2020.
- Friday, 30 October 2020 at 9am, IU Anthropology faculty Keitlyn Alcantara engaged in conversation with local farmer and food activist Lauren McCalister, co-owner of Three Flock Farm and co-founder of The Plant Truck Project, to explore issues of race & food as part of the IU Food Institute's Food & (anti-) Race(-ism) seminar series.
- SFSS member Angela Babb is featured in a recent article in the Limestone Post for her leadership role in forming the People's Open Pantry, a no-barrier food pantry born from Babb's work helping found and run the People's Market. Read the full article here.
- SFSS members Olga Kalentzidou and Carl Ipsen were featured in a recent article in the Herarld times for their incredible work fighting food insecurity on campus. Explore the article to learn more about how Covid-19 is impacting student food insecurity and how IU is mobilizing to address it.
- SFSS member Shellye Suttles was published this September in Choices Magazine, a publication of AAEA, the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association. The article discusses the logistical challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic for the U.S. food supply chain and explores how human resources have presented the greatest risk exposure but have also been the greatest asset underlying the innovative response to unprecedented shocks. Read the article here. September, 2020.
- SFSS member, Angela Babb, along with Megan Betz from IU's department of Geography were recently published in a Web Exclusive for Gastronomica, the Journal for Food Studies, in a special edition on Food in the Time of Covid-19. In the article, Babb and Betz reflect upon the formation of the People's Cooperative Market, an equity-driven farmer's market in Bloomington Indiana, and the vital role it plays in these challenging times. Find the article here. Aug 26, 2020.
- A recent episode of Indiana Public Media's program, Earth Eats, features the IU Campus Farm, run by SFSS member James Farmer. The episode includes an interview with farm manager, Erin Carman-Sweeny, and explores some of the farm's implementation of regenerative farming practices. Listen to the episode and read the article here. Aug 21, 2020.
- For urban households in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) the path to sustained urban food systems and food security is an ongoing challenge. In a their latest publication in Applied Geography, SFSS members Jordan Blekking and Kurt Waldman use household-level data from 718 low-income households in Lusaka, Zambia, to assess urban food security through two measures, the Food Consumption Score (FCS) and the Coping Strategies Index (CSI). Read the article here.
- Vanilla prices in Madagascar have reached historic highs. For the country's vanilla producing smallholders, the influx of new wealth has resulted in profound affective changes, in large part owing to vanilla theft, which has become widespread. In her article "Nobody Wants to Kill" recently published in the American Ethnologist, SFSS member Sarah Osterhoudt explores how in the vanilla market, as with commodity markets more generally, it is those with the least to gain who are disproportionately exposed to violence and harm. Aug 17, 2020.
- Using a ‘chains of meaning’ framework that centers ethnographic and comparative analysis, SFSS member Sarah Osterhoudt and co-authors examine how basmati and red rice gained special export status in their respective countries in part through the negotiation of non-economic meanings by individuals operating in the ‘in between’ spaces of trade regulation. Read the article here in Science Direct. Jul 28, 2020.
- During the 1990s, many Southern African governments liberalized their seed markets. Using an institutional analysis framework, SFSS members Jordan Blekking and Kurt Waldman illustrate in a recent publication in the Journal of Environmental Planning and Managementthe complex system of actors and feedback that governs the seed certification process in Zambia and examine how smallholder hybrid-seed use has changed over the last decade. Read the article here. Jul 13, 2020.
- Success for young, beginning, and/or socially disadvantaged (New Gen) farmers and ranchers depends on their ability to secure suitable land to start and expand their operations, yet this is a significant and widely reported challenge. In a new JAFSCD viewpoint article, "Land Access Policy Incentives: Emerging Approaches to Transitioning Farmland to a New Generation," SFSS member, Julia Valliant, and co-author, Julia Freedgood, introduce the slim evidence that exists of the impacts and reach of existing US land access policy incentive (LAPI) programs that were developed to address this challege and call for the assessment of three major types. Read the article here. Jun 11, 2020.
- An article by SFSS member, Carl Ipsen, tracking the social, cultural, environmental, and economic impacts of the Xylellia Fastidiosa bacteria on olive oil production in Southern Italy was published in the May issue of Gastronomica, The Journal for Food Studies. Read the article here. Jun 1, 2020.
- An article co-authored by SFSS members Dan Knudsen, Angela Babb, Jordan Blekking, and a number of IU undergraduate students was published in the online journal, Nature, in their Food Research Journal: Accessibility to emergency food systems in south-central Indiana assessed by spatiotemporal indices of pressure at county and pantry level. May 19, 2020.
- “If you are interested in a vibrant local economy, you may be interested in supporting your local farm and those local businesses who are buying local from each other.” Read this article by the Indiana Environmental Reporter for more insights from SFSS member, Jodee Ellett, on the vital connection between farmers and consumers and the vulnerabilities in our food system highlighted during the Covid-19 crisis.
- SFSS Member Olga Kalentzidou was awarded "Advisor of the Year" this week by students for her incredible work with student group, The Campus Kitchen. See her recognition begin at minute 2.06! May 6, 2020.
- Many of SFSS's core members are working closely with IU's Center for Rural Engagement on collaborative projects. Check out their 2019-2020 Faculty and Projects guide to explore.
- Halt destruction of nature or suffer even worse pandemics: An essay co-authored by SFSS member and distinguished IU Professor, Eduardo Brondizio, was featured in an article in the Guardian this morning. Apr 27, 2020.
- SFSS member, Jodee Ellett, was interviewed by Kenny Smith of the IU Media School for "On Topic with IU," a podcast designed to address the many changes COVID-19 is bringing to campus life and beyond. Ellett answers questions about the effects of the pandemic on our food systems; explaining what's going on in the food supply chain, the issues farmers are facing, some historical parallels, the growing trend toward community gardening, and more. Listen here! Apr 22, 2020.
- SFSS Graduate Student, Leila Mzali, mapped an overview of worker movements happening across the country in response to COVID-19 working conditions. Explore the map, which Mzali will be updating bi-weekly, here. Apr 21, 2020.
- The IU Food Institute is partnering with IU Dining to create the Emergency Meals Project, a collaboration combining IU Dining's currently underutilized facilities and staff with food and financial donations from the community to create a daily lunch pick-up for students and other community members in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read about the project in this article featured in the IU Bloomington News, or donate to the project here. Apr 20, 2020.
- SFSS Researcher, Annie Shattuck, was recently published in Plos One, an inclusive journal community working together to advance science for the benefit of society, now and in the future. Find the publication here.
- SFSS member, Angela Babbs, and IU Geography Department PhD Candidate, Megan Betz, are quoted in a recent article in the Limestone Post as founding members of the The People's Market, a new Bloomington Farmers' Market built on the founding principles of food justice and mutual aid. To read about the market's unique sponsorship program and to learn about its origin story and quick pivots to accomodate COVID-19 concerns, you can find the full article here.
- IU adds Master of the Arts in Food studies as one of two newly approved graduate degrees. Read the full article here.
- SFSS member, Ruta Spiewak, helped author the recent publication in SAPEA (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies) entitled A Sustainable Food System for the European Union. Find the full report here. Apr 9, 2020.
- Hoosiers Take on Home Gardening: SFSS member, Jodee Ellett, was featured this week in an article by the Indiana Environmental Reporter examining how more people are growing their own food as a way to help the environment and stave off boredom during the COVID-19 crisis. Apr 8, 2020.
- SFSS member Julia Valliant presented a Beginning Farmer/Rancher Land Access webinar with collaborators from the American Farmland Trust and Land For Good. 100 service providers from around the country participated: Recent Findings & Tools: New Farmer/Rancher Land Access and Farm Link Services. April 8, 2020.
- The Future of Agriculture Depends on New Faces and New Ideas: SFSS members James Farmer, Julia Valliant, and Jodee Ellett partner with young farmer couple on Sare grant. Read more by clicking the links above.
- Four new briefs of findings available for SFSS's Farm Transfers to Beginning Farmers research project: Next-generation farmer and rancher land needs, Tracking progress in farm succession programming, Supporting farm transfers to next-generation producers , Entering farmers face a shortage of on-farm housing
- Inaugural Indiana Uplands Winter Food Conference in Bedford, IN was a great success. Read more about this collaboration between SFSS and IU's Center for Rural Engagement in this article published in the Sunday Herald Times. Feb 02, 2020.
- Friday January 31, 2020, IMU Persimmon Room: Placing Food Systems on the Table For Rural Economic Development - Leslie Schaller and Adam Kody from ACEnet in Athens, Ohio will give a seminar, followed by lunch. They will discuss their 30+ years of work re-localizing the regional food economy in rural Appalachian Ohio, and the network-building and working models that are having impact. Everyone is welcome - please share with your students and community networks.
- Thursday, January 30th, 2020, join us for our Indiana Uplands Winter Food Conference at StoneGate Arts and Education Center in Bedford. This event is sold out! Please join us in Bloomington for ACEnet presentations.
- Wednesday, January 29, 2020, join us for an informal presentation, dinner and discussion about ACEnet work, rural food system development and working, successful models for implementation of projects. Students, staff, faculty and community members are all welcome to attend! Please share with your networks, students and community organizations. IU Food Institute, 405 N Park Avenue.
- Kate Mundon-Dixon, Postdoctoral Researcher for SFSS was published in The Conversation today. Read the article on young California ranchers here. Jan 28, 2020.
Small Farms and Community Markets Create Space for Revitalization: James Farmer and SFSS partner Jacob Simpson from IU's Center for Rural Engagement featured in recent article in the Indiana Environmental Reporter.
SFSS group enjoyed a tour last month of local beef producer, Fischer Farms, where they learned about Dave Fischer's innovative regenerative agriculture practices. Read more and watch a video from the tour here.
Jordan Blekking, PhD candidate in the Department of Geography, has been awarded the Fulbright-Hays Fellowship and will be in Zambia for the Spring semester researching how food security is changing in small cities as a result of rapid urbanization. Congratulations Jordan!
Study led by James Farmer highlights a 40 percent decrease in Indiana Christmas tree farms since 2002, Nov 19, 2019.
Local Food, Local Good Meetings taking place throughout south-central Indiana and Monroe County, Oct 26, 2019.
Angela Babb deconstructs the Thrifty Food Plan to find that SNAP benefits are inadequate and undemocratically determined, Oct. 22, 2019.
Land For Good writes about their work with IU SFSS research around farmland transfer and farmland access, Sep. 24, 2019.
Farmer, J., A. Babb, S. Minard, and M. Veldman. 2019. "Accessing Local Foods: Households Using SNAP Double Bucks and Financial Incentives at a Midwestern Farmers Market."Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development 8(4): 1–26.
Haythorn, C., D. Knudsen, J. Farmer, C. Antreasian, and M. Betz. 2019. "It’s All in the SKU: Getting Food from Somewhere from the Field to the Dinner Plate while Using a Large-Scale Retailer."Sustainability 11(3): 892.
Waldman, K. B., N. Vergopolan, L. D. Estes, S. Z. Attari, J. Sheffield, K. K. Caylor, and T. P. Evans. 2019. "Cognitive Biases about Climate Variability in Smallholder Farming Systems in Zambia."Weather, Climate and Society (early online release).
“Sustaining Hoosier Farms,” interview with James Farmer and Julia Valliant, Through the Gates at IU, Jan. 23, 2019.
Jodee Ellett’s project on value-chain coordination has recently hit the news as the project is rolled out across Indiana. You can learn more here.
Sarah Osterhoudt and colleagues just published an article in Palgrave Communications. Please check it out at: Neimark, B., S. Osterhoudt, H. Alter, and A. Gradinar. 2019. "A new sustainability model for measuring changes in power and access in global supply chains: Through a smallholder lens."
Eduardo Brondizio was appointed to rank of Distinguished Professor. Congratulations to Eduardo and thank you for your invaluable contributions (view story).
Julia Valliant recently penned an article on farm transitions for the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association. See OEFFA’s newsletter, page 11 (PDF).
- This Friday, November 22nd at 9:00 am at the Dimension Mill, Professor Jennifer Meta Robinson will be presenting as part of the Lost Histories of Indiana Symposium. Open to the public.
- April 15, 2019 • Presentation by Marissa Reyes-Diaz & Stephanie Nohemy Monserrate Torres on the unique governance model of Güakiá Colectivo Agroecológico, and the organization’s approach to agro-ecological production (cosponsored by SFSS, IU Food Institute, Ostrom Workshop)
- December 5, 2018 • IU Food Institute SFSS Brown Bag Series
IU’s Environmental Resilience Institute’s Midwestern/Indiana Community History Fellow, Elizabeth Grennan Browning
- November 7, 2018 • IU Food Institute Speaker Series with SFSS Brown Bag Series: Rhonda Phillips, Agricultural Economist and Dean of the Purdue Honors College, "Connecting Local Food Systems with Community Well-Being and Development"
- October 29, 2018 • Ostrom Workshop Colloquium Series
Becca Jablonski, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, Colorado State University, “Measuring the Stock of Rural Wealth: Coalescing County-Level Measures”
- October 3, 2018 • SFSS Brown Bag Series
IU's Environmental Resilience Institute’s Midwestern/Indiana Community Studies Fellow, Matthew Houser
- "A Flowery Farm Transition, and a Neighborhood Coffee Shop Gets a Nightlife," Earth Eats, Sept. 14, 2018.
- "For the Love of Farming," Earth Eats, Aug. 31, 2018. Denise O’Brien and Kate Edwards talk about the importance of role models for women in farming.
- "Matchmaking—Farmers to Farmland," Earth Eats, Mar. 23, 2018. Story about farm transitions, with playwright Mary Swander and Grant Pershing and John Byers of Blue Hour Farm (story starts about 9 minutes in).