Sustainable Practices and Sustainability Ideology on Small Farms in North-Central West Virginia
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AND SUSTAINABILITY IDEOLOGY ON SMALL FARMS IN NORTH-CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA by Amanda Zickefoose Bachelor of Arts, Pennsylvania State University, 2004 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Pittsburgh 2016 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences This dissertation was presented by Amanda Zickefoose It was defended on October 28, 2016 and approved by Kathleen M. Blee, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Sociology Gerard D’Souza, PhD, Director and Professor of Resource Economics and Management Bryan K. Hanks, PhD, Associate Professor of Anthropology Kathleen Musante, PhD, Professor of Anthropology and Public Health Dissertation Advisor: Richard Scaglion, PhD, Professor of Anthropology ii Copyright © by Amanda Zickefoose 2016 iii SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AND SUSTAINABILITY IDEOLOGY ON SMALL FARMS IN NORTH-CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA Amanda Zickefoose, PhD University of Pittsburgh, 2016 This dissertation examines farming practices and ideologies through the lens of sustainability rhetoric. While “conventional” and “sustainable” agriculture are often set in opposition in the literature, this research shows how, in West Virginia, small farmers who identify as being in both camps actually use many of the same methods and practices. Consequently, these farming operations are characterized not as contrasts and opposites, but rather as a spectrum with methods varying more by degree than type. In the literature, sustainable farmers are often described as employing practices that prioritize the environment and community, whereas conventional farmers purportedly use practices that maximize profit at a cost to the environment.
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