The food self-sufficiency gradient of farm families in three Canadian provinces

Dr. Lynn McIntyreKrista Rondeau

University of Calgary

Canadian Public Health Association 2008 Annual ConferenceHalifax, NS

June 3, 2008

Food Provisioning Study

Food provisioning includes: acquisition, preparation, distribution, and consumption of food that draws on personal, family and community resources and supports. It is a lens into the daily lived experience.

Self-sufficiency draws upon acquisition & preparation

Characteristics of farmwomen regardless of level of self-sufficiency 

Strong support of local markets

Many have a personal agricultural exchange network for acquiring food

The majority consume the commodity they produce (dairy exception)  

OBJECTIVE:

To examine the food acquisition strategies of farmwomen in the context of food self-sufficiency

Methodology

Purposive sampling of farmwomen on a beef, dairy or other commodity farm and who had at least two children under the age of 18 years living at home.

Semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 22 farm women: 6 in Alberta, 6 in Ontario, and 10 in Nova Scotia.

NVivo7 iterative coding

Participants

Type of farm

- Beef / Bison (7)- Dairy (7)- Mixed, incl beef (4)- Other (4)

Ave. age of women - 41.7 (25 – 50) Y- 64% post-sec ed

Children living in household < 18Y

- 10.0Y, n = 2.4, 0–5

Farms with off-farm income

- 13/22 (59%)

Results

Self-sufficiency gradient – Acquisition strategies

Grocery store

Local market:

farmer’s markets, fruit stands, U-pick; money exchanged

Agricultural exchange network: barter

Garden: personal garden, fruits

Commodity: farm’s

 Advanced food prod. – animal: raises/hunts/fishes animals for family’s consumption 

Advanced food prod – processing: canning, freezing, preserves, bread, maple syrup

  Food acquisition strategies

 

Grocery store Local market

Agricultural exchange network

Garden Commodity

Advanced food

production - animals

Advanced food

production – processing

363             

189              SS

799              SS

809             

319             

292             

422             

545              SS

158              SS

894              SS

680              SS

931              SS

723              SS

360              SS

453              SS

188              SS

169              SS

218             

738              SS

691             

606              SS

123              SS

Totals 22 20 17 11+4 18 12 17

Alberta Ontario Nova Scotia

Agricultural exchange network

                      

NS: People who hunt on their land give them some wild meat- Family members share if they go hunting- Use space on daughter's property to raise fish- Bee hives on land; get honey in exchange

ON: Trades sweet corn for beef with neighbour

AB: Small garden on her property that is cared for by mother-in-law and daughter; - canning and pickling done by daughter and mother-in-law

Garden

                      

11+4

Having a garden is strongly associated with having enough time to plant and tend the garden.

Lack of time is reported as a reason that many have having stopped a garden.

Lack of time may be due to:•having children•children leaving the home•loss of extended family who helped out•off-farm employment (farmwoman)

Garden as Transition

As children grow up and start to leave the home, there appears to be a reduction in gardening and advanced food production strategies due to the loss of children’s help in maintaining the garden.

Alberta, N = 6 (n)

Ontario, N = 6 (n)

Nova Scotia, N = 10 (n)

Advanced food production – animals

1 4 7

Advanced food production – processing and preservation

2 4 8

Both 1 3 7

Advanced Food Production

Factors related to self-sufficiency

Nova Scotia > Ontario > Alberta

Farmwomen who have a GARDEN and WHO ENJOY GARDENING

Have a strong arsenal of FOOD SKILLS available to them, including personal and family/extended family.

Strong BELIEF that locally produced foods (self- or local farmer) and cooking from scratch is better for you.

 

Factors unrelated to self-sufficiency

Off-farm employment

Type of farm (mixed vs. single commodity)

Other determinants of food self-sufficiency:

perception of relative cost savings, physical environment (climate, land, space, and equipment), and government regulations concerning personal food production

Conclusion

Subsistence agriculture is uncommon among Canadian farm families although many demonstrate components of food self-sufficiency in a gradient. A number of social and physical determinants influence farm families’ ability to provide food for their households.

Thanks to the women who participated and to Bonnie Anderson, NS interviewerThis study was partially funded by PrioNet and APRI through a grant received by Co-Principal Investigators Wilfreda Thurston and Carol Amaratunga.