Welcome to JAFSCD!
The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD: ISSN 2152-0801) is an online international, peer-reviewed publication focused on the practice and applied research interests of agriculture and food systems development professionals and scholars.
JOIN AgDevONLINE and get a 25% discount on your JAFSCD subscription!
JAFSCD Poll #1
JAFSCD Poll #2
We are proud to be an affiliate member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education,
an association of colleges and universities working to create a sustainable world.
 |
 |
|
From Turf to Table: Grass Seed to Edible Grains in the Willamette Valleyby Katlyn J. Giombolini, Kimberlee J. Chambers, Joe W. Bowersox, Peter M. Henry http://dx.doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2011.021.008, pp. 1–21
Abstract Western Oregon's Willamette Valley has a rich history of agricultural production and, like an increasing number of regions globally, a growing local food movement. Recent declines in grass seed markets and an increased consumer interest in local grains have raised the possibility of a transition from grass seed land to edible grain production for local markets. We used geographic information systems (GIS) to determine if the Willamette Valley population's dietary grain needs could be met if current grass seed land were converted to production of soft white winter wheat. In order to explore transitional obstacles and opportunities, we conducted interviews with local farmers, a wholesaler, an agriculture extension worker, and seed developers. The GIS analysis indicated that such a transition could exceed the recommended grain needs of the region's 2008 population. The interviews revealed technical and cultural aspects of transitioning from grass seed production to wheat and other edible crops, identifying insufficient infrastructure (storage, processing, distribution, and market outlets) as the primary barrier to producing for local markets. This combination of GIS analysis (predictive of the food-producing capacity of a region) with in-depth contextual information and practical insights from farmers' voices provides a robust model for planners seeking to analyze and address local food system challenges and possibilities. Our research, while focusing on the Willamette Valley's transition toward a more locally based food system, explores the potential steps for any region looking to transition from nonedible to edible crop production for local consumption.
Keywords: crop transitioning, edible grains, food system analysis, GIS, grass seed, local food systems, Willamette Valley |
LOGIN
Library Subscribers
Check to see if your institution already subscribes to JAFSCD. If it does, you already have access to all content for free!
| American University of Beirut (Lebanon) |
| Baylor University (USA) |
| Carleton University (Canada) |
| Clemson University (USA) |
| Cornell University (USA) |
| Curtin University of Technology (Australia) |
| Green Mountain College (USA) |
| Greenfield Community College (USA) |
| Harvard University and Business School (USA) |
| Iowa State University (USA) |
| Kalamazoo College (USA) |
| Kwantlen Polytechnic University (Canada) |
| Lafayette College (USA) |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) |
| Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania (Greece) |
| Michigan State University (USA) |
| Montana State University–Bozeman (USA) |
| New York University (USA) |
| North Carolina State University (USA) |
| Nova Scotia Agricultural College (Canada) |
| Ohio State University (USA) |
| Oregon State University (USA) |
| Penn State University (USA) |
| Portland State University (USA) |
| Purdue University and Extension (USA) |
| Qatar University (Qatar) |
| RMIT University (Australia) |
| Ryerson University (Canada) |
| Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technologies (Canada) |
| Simon Fraser University (Canada) |
| Southern Illinois University (USA) |
| State University of New York– Brockport (USA) |
| Temple University (USA) |
| Tufts University (USA) |
| University of Adelaide (Australia) |
| University of Alabama (USA) |
| University of Alaska–Fairbanks (USA) |
| University of Arkansas (USA) |
| University of California, Santa Cruz (USA) |
| University of Guelph (Canada) |
| University of Hawaii (USA) |
| University of Illinois at Chicago (USA) |
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA) |
| University of Iowa (USA) |
| University of Maine (USA) |
| University of Massachusetts– Amherst (USA) |
| University of Michigan (USA) |
| University of Montana (USA) |
| University of New Hampshire School of Law (USA) |
| University of Oregon (USA) |
| University of Queensland (Australia) |
| University of Regina (Canada) |
| University of South Florida– Tampa Campus (USA) |
| University of Tennessee–Knoxville (USA) |
| University of the West Indies (Trinidad & Tobago) |
| University of Vermont (USA) |
| University of Virginia (USA) |
| University of Waterloo (Canada) |
| University of Western Australia (Australia) |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA) |
| University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (USA) |
| Virginia Tech (USA) |
Banner photos include a Cape Cod cranberry bog; a cranberry “screen house” used to grade fresh cranberries; farmland near Lake Placid, NY, in the Adirondack Mountains; Montmorency cherry trees on the Mission Peninsula of northern Michigan; the historic Round Barn in the South Mountain Apple Belt of Adams County, Pennsylvania; the “Sea of Grapes” district of the Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt, near Erie, Penn; a field of cabbages near Shortsville, NY, home to one of the world’s largest sauerkraut factories. All photos copyright by Duncan Hilchey.
Developed by CyberSense.US