Agriculture of the Middle

Research, education and policy strategies that keep farmers and ranchers on the land

  • Home
  • About
    • Research
    • Education
    • Policy
  • People
  • Publications
    • Definitions
    • Background Reading
    • Research
    • Guides for Producers and Extension Educators
    • Values-Based Food Supply Chain Case Studies
    • Teaching Materials
    • Food Hubs Map
  • Participatory Action

A regional imperative: the case for regional food systems

Katherine Ruhf and Kate Clancy recently released an extensive report that explores the concepts, practices, challenges, and promise of regional food systems. The report’s focus is on the Northeast U.S., a laboratory for regional food systems thinking and action, but it also describes and gives examples of regional food systems development across the country. The… [Read More]

Filed Under: Background Reading, Definitions, Home, Publications, Research, Resources, Teaching Materials, Values-Based Food Supply Chain Case Studies

2021 Research Publications

Journal articles and book chapters Jablonski, B.B.R. and C. Payton Scally. 2021. Beyond GDP: Measuring Rural Assets and Why It Matters. In Investing in Rural Prosperity. Federal Reserve Board. Schmit, T.M., B.R. Jablonski, A. Bonanno, and T. Johnson. 2021. Measuring stocks of community wealth and its association with food systems efforts in rural and urban… [Read More]

Filed Under: Publications, Research, Resources, Uncategorized

Exploring Supplier-Manufacturer Relationships in the Specialty Food Sector

Shermain Hardesty, Robert P. King, Gail Feenstra, Laurie Houston, Jan Joannides, and Larry Lev March 2018 We use results from a survey of specialty food manufacturers to examine how supplier–manufacturer relationships vary in the specialty food sector. While diverse mechanisms govern relationships between manufacturers and suppliers, relational contracts (longstanding, informal commitments) are the most common… [Read More]

Filed Under: Publications, Research

A Survey of Specialty Food Manufacturers to Assess Whether They Represent an Attractive Outlet for Small and Medium-Size Farmers

Robert P. King, Larry Lev, Laurie Houston, Gail Feenstra, Shermain Hardesty, and Jan Joannides September 2017 Small and medium-size farmers are important because of their contributions to economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Most of these farmers, however, can’t compete with larger producers in producing bulk commodities and while some have been successful selling fresh products… [Read More]

Filed Under: Publications, Research

What We Do

  • Education
  • Policy
  • Research

Publications

  • Definitions
  • Background Reading
  • Research
  • Guides for Producers and Extension Educators
  • Values-Based Food Supply Chain Case Studies
  • Teaching Materials
  • Food Hubs Map
Member log in (coming soon)
Contact our webmaster: mmmille6@wisc.edu

Current funding support provided by United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through the Multistate project, NC-1198, “Renewing an Agriculture of the Middle: Value Chain Design, Policy Approaches, Environmental and Social Impacts”(2017 -2022).

nifa logo

Copyright © 2023 Board of Regents · University of Wisconsin· Log in