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‘Good Farmers’ as Reflexive Producers: an Examination of Family Organic Farmers in the US Midwest
Author(s) -
Stock Paul V.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
sociologia ruralis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.005
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1467-9523
pISSN - 0038-0199
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9523.2007.00429.x
Subject(s) - reflexivity , ideology , identity (music) , organic farming , agriculture , business , food sector , family farm , participant observation , marketing , sociology , political science , geography , social science , aesthetics , law , politics , archaeology , philosophy
In the wake of an explosion in the organic food sector, it is vital to differentiate, not only between conventional and organic producers, but between types of organic producers. By exploring a network of family organic farmers in the US Midwest through participant observation and interviews we can better understand the inherent overlap between the categorisations of producer and consumer through the lenses of identity and the reflexive producer. By studying a small network of organic food producers, I illustrate the emergence of a small, but important category of reflexive producers that shed light on the alternative ideology and actions of family organic farmers concerned with protecting the environment and the health of their customers and people in general. Furthermore, reflexive farmers illustrate the moral care associated with good farming.