Participation needed from farmers and farm supporters

Dr. Ankita Raturi at Purdue University, one of the Organic Center’s Scientific Counselors, is leading a project that will result in the design of a community food resilience toolkit. The kit will consist of digital tools for farmers and consumers to help coordinate local food production and distribution. This project is particularly aimed at US-based farmers who currently sell directly to consumers or who need to pivot to direct sales because of constraints brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The research team is currently seeking participation from both FARMERS and FARMER SUPPORTERS to help them investigate information challenges that farmers face by mapping the flow of food and information from “seed to market.” In-depth interviews will allow farmers to provide a firsthand account of how they are affected and coping whereas farm supporters will provide guidance on how farmers are affected and coping, as well as how different organizations are supporting farmers. The team is also calling for collaboration with other researchers who are currently involved with or interested in research related to community coordination, farmer perspectives, digital technologies, or other aspects of local food systems. To get involved you can visit the main project website here or email Dr. Raturi (ankita@purdue.edu) or Dr. Juliet Norton (jnnorton@purdue.edu) to set up an informational call to learn more details on the study and chat about ways to collaborate.