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Harvest Moon Society Marketing Co-operative: Building Social Capital through an Alternative Food Economy

Last Updated on February 4th, 2009

 

Project Title: Harvest Moon Society Marketing Co-operative: Building Social Capital through an Alternative Food Economy

Project Number: CL1-12-MB

Term of Project: May 2007 to May 2008

Status: In progress

Academic Researcher:

• Stephane McLachlan, University of Manitoba (principal investigator)

Student Researcher:

• Colin Anderson, University of Manitoba (internship)

Community Researchers:

• Jo-Lene Gardiner, Harvest Moon Society
• Celia Guildford, Harvest Moon Society

Community Partner:

• Harvest Moon Society

Project Summary:

Rural areas in Canada are currently facing a myriad of issues contributing to rural decline and are in the process of redefining themselves to adjust to a changing rural landscape. While the economic dynamics of community development are important, it is clear that social and environmental components are necessary as well. The roles of the voluntary sector and co-operatives in simultaneously building social and economic capital are increasingly recognized and play a central role in rural rejuvenation. However, most studies of this nature have focused on urban communities.

The Harvest Moon Society and the University of Manitoba Environmental Conservation Laboratory are working collaboratively with a group of producers in southwestern Manitoba who are in the early stages of developing a producer-driven collective marketing co-operative. The producer group has self-identified as a social enterprise committed to increasing the profitability of production, building healthy communities and environment, and working towards a just and sustainable food system.

Specific Project-Level Research Objectives:

• Identify how new generation co-operatives, and specifically those focused on local food systems, increase social cohesion and social capital within the immediate marketing group, the larger communities in which they are nested, and among the diverse stakeholders represented in the food system.
• Describe group dynamics and evolving nature of social cohesion and capital within this emerging rural social enterprise
• Explore role of social capital in local sustainable food systems
• Evaluate role agricultural co-operatives play in managing risk and adapting to BSE and future stressors
• Use a combination of individual interviews, focus groups, and questionnaires to gain insight into the social economy as it relates to local food systems
• Employ participatory action research methods that will at once give voice to producers, benefit the community, and contribute to the theoretical literature on the linkages between the social economy and risk and adaptation in rural communities

Expected Deliverables:

1. Literature review
2. Academic publications
3. Conference papers
4. Communications tools
   • website development related to research but also a communication tool for HMS marketing group
   • brochure describing research and best practices
   • Newsletter
5. Press releases
6. Articles for local and regional newspapers and television
7. Workshops at Harvest Moon Festival regarding local food, social enterprise development, sustainable agriculture
8. PhD thesis

Findings:

Project Poster: Poster (pdf)

Final Report:

Projected Expenditures: $17,000 (plus $5,000 in June 2008)

In-Kind Contributions:

Publicity:

• Harvest Moon Society celebrates sixth year at Clearwater (The Manitoba Co-operator, September 27, 2007) (Download Full PDF)
• Producers form marketing group (The Manitoba Co-operator, October 4, 2007) (Download Full PDF)
• Marketing Locally??? A study performed by the U of M’s Environmental Conservation Lab (The Farmers Forum, April 2, 2008) (Download Full PDF)

Press Releases:

• Harvest Moon Festival 2008 Press Release (Word Doc)

Dissemination Activities:

• website: Harvest Moon Society - http://www.harvestmoonsociety.org
• blog: Farm to Fork Research - http://www.farmtoforkresearch.com/
• Newsletter: September 1, 2008 (PDF)
  
• Living Rural Communities and Environments Course: This experiential learning course takes place perennially at the Harvest Moon Society Learning Centre at Clearwater, Manitoba, where students will visit farms and explore the relationship among farm operations, rural culture, and the environment. Conducted over a two-week period, the course combined lectures and farm visits, along with course projects.  This year, the local food initiative was a central piece to the course.  Presentations about the project and farm tours from farmer members of the HMS were given.
• Re-localizing food: Implications for eaters and growers.  Anderson, C.R. 2007. Presented at University of Manitoba Graduate Student’s Association Forum on November 29, 2007.
• Producer Adaptive Responses: Dealing With the BSE Crisis. Anderson, C. R., & McLachlan, S. M. (2007). Paper presented at Canadian Association of Food Studies Annual Conference.  May 29, 2007.
• Facilitated Session - Mapping Out Institutional Food Procurement in Manitoba: Manitoba Food Charter Policy and Research Committee theory of change planning process facilitated by Colin Anderson.  June 7, 2007.
• Building a Local Food Economy. Seminar hosted by the Harvest Moon Society Local Food initiative and the Manitoba Food Charter featuring Ken Meter from the Leopold Centre for Sustainable Agriculture.
• Rural Rejuvenation.  Gardiner, J., McIntyre, J. & J Andrich (Members of HMS) Presentation at the Manitoba Food Charter Growing Local, Getting Vocal Conference. March 8, 2008.
• Farmer Cooperation and Local Certification.  Guilford, C. (Member of HMS) Presentation at the Manitoba Food Charter Growing Local, Getting Vocal Conference. March 8, 2008.
• Farm Mentorship.  Guilford, R. (Member of HMS) Presentation at the Manitoba Food Charter Growing Local, Getting Vocal Conference. March 8, 2008.
• Food and Spirituality.  Sanders, J. & L. Hart. (Members of HMS)  Presentation at the Manitoba Food Charter Growing Local, Getting Vocal Conference. March 8, 2008.
• Facilitated Local Food Forum. Anderson, C.R. This session will bring together farmers, retailers, chefs, eaters, and more to discuss the opportunities ahead and how we can work collectively to enhance local food systems in Manitoba.
• Building Community through Local Food.  Anderson, C.R., McLachlan, S.M. Presentation in academic stream of the Manitoba Food Charter Growing Local, Getting Vocal Conference. March 8, 2008.
• WIRA/LLL Annual Provincial Social Economy Workshop, Winnipeg, MB, January 11, 2008.
• Anderson, C.R. & S.M. McLachlan. 2008. The Harvest Moon Society Local Food Initiative: Building Social Capital through an Alternative Food Economy.  Presented at the Canadian Association for Cooperative Studies on June 6, 2008.  Vancouver, B.C.
• Anderson, C.R. & S.M. McLachlan. 2008. Comparing and Contrasting Stakeholder Perception and Expectations of Local Food.  Presented at the Canadian Association of Food Studies Annual Conference on June 1, 2008. Vancouver, BC.
• Anderson, C.R. & S.M. McLachlan. 2008. Building Community through Local Food. Presented at Manitoba Food Security Conference: Growing Local, Getting Vocal on March 8, 2008.  Winnipeg, MB.
• Anderson, C.R. 2007. Re-localizing food: Implications for eaters and growers.  Presented at University of Manitoba Graduate Student’s Association Forum on November 29, 2007. Winnipeg, MB.
• Anderson, C.R. Growing Relationships: Connecting Farmers, Processors, Marketers and Eaters in the Local Food Economy. Winnipeg, MB. Manitoba Direct Farm Marketing Conference. February 27, 2009.
• Anderson, CR. 2009. Community level efforts to build Local Food Economies. Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Buy Fresh, Buy Local. November 2008. Carberry, MB.
• Canning Workshop (Harvest Moon Festival 2008): Join Pam Griffin for a hands-on canning workshop. Limit of 20 participants - sign up at the registration booth.
• Cheese/Butter-Making (Harvest Moon Festival 2008): Join Louise May in a quick, fun, easy and interactive goat’s milk mozzarella cheese and butter-making crash course! Louise will also lead a discussion on the realities of the government bureaucracy and regulatory regime as it pertains to the public having access to unpasteurized dairy products.
• Good and Sweet (Harvest Moon Festival 2008): We (David Neufeld and Danielle Mondor) will help participants explore the possibilities of collecting and processing natural sweeteners with small scale, basic equipment. Join us in discovering ways to feed and entertain each other while learning time tested skills. Please bring water to rinse with between delectible taste delights.
• Pasture Paradise: McDonalds Farm Tour (Harvest Moon Festival 2008): Come explore a pasture-based grass farm and see animals born and bred to prosper on pasture.  Our cows, sheep, and pigs are all kept on pasture with access to fresh, clean water and all of grass and legumes that they can eat.  Our primary focus is to replicate nature and harvest the excess that nature provides in a sound, ethical, humane way; always putting foremost the animal’s health and comfort. (Transportation provided for first 23 - sign up at registration booth)

Additional Notes:

This project has led to a phase II project, Beyond Local: Building Urban-Rural Solidarity Through Food Relationships (CL1-24-MB).

Member of the Canadian Social Economy Research Partnerships

Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada / Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada

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