Welcome to the website about my thesis research, a study of the motivations, values and practices among beginning, first generation farmers. Young people who don't come from agricultural backgrounds are increasingly attracted to agriculture. I hope that this research will help add to an understanding of this typically understudied group of farmers.
I'll be conducing this research from September 2017 to March of 2018, and will focus on farmers in two different contexts: the U.S. state of Maryland and the country of the Netherlands. I hope that by sharing the stories of young, beginning, first generation farmers, we can build better support programs and policies to support young, newcomers to agriculture.
There are three parts to this research:
-
An online survey. I'd like to have as many farmers that meet the study criteria as possible take this survey. Please take it yourself, and then send it to your friends!
-
Interviews. I hope to interview at least 15 farmers in each study location (the U.S. and the Netherlands) to gain a deeper understanding. I’d love to hear from you. Let me know if you want to sign up for an interview.
-
Focus Groups. Focus groups are basically group interviews. I hope to wrap up my research with a focus group session in each study location, where we can discuss in detail the ideals you have for your farm, and your specific practices.
ABOUT THE RESEARCH
ABOUT ME
Hi I’m Laura,
I’m an American masters student at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, studying sustainable food systems.
I didn't grow up on a farm, but I’ve long been fascinated by agriculture. I spent two years working on diversified vegetable farms in Rhode Island, and decided I wanted to spend my career trying to support farmers. I’ve since worked with organizations that run farmers markets and agricultural education programs in the hopes of inspiring others about food and farming.
In this research, I'm focusing on a particular group of farmers. Farmers, who didn’t take over a farm from their family, but somewhere along the line started farming. Farming has been some of the hardest work I have ever done, but also some of the most rewarding. Are you a first generation, beginning farmer? If so, I want to know more about why you do what you do, what values you bring to it, and what sort of vision you have for your farm. Please come talk to me!
