Who Speaks for (and Feeds) the Community? Competing Definitions of “Community” in the Austin, TX, Urban Farm Debate

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Questions and Answers

What was one of the main points of contention in the debates about rewriting Austin's farm code?

Disagreement over the use of organic farming practices

Conflict regarding the city's budget allocation for urban farming initiatives

Differing interpretations of 'community' between urban farmers and East Austin neighborhood members (correct)

Differing opinions on the environmental impact of urban farming

What were the values on which urban farmers and their supporters based their sense of community?

Fresh, healthy food and the larger community of Austin (correct)

Historical preservation and architectural significance

Economic growth and global trade networks

Technological innovation and industrial production

What did advocates of stricter zoning laws describe as their interpretation of 'community'?

Promoting international cultural exchange programs

The East Austin neighborhood, race, class, and being a good neighbor (correct)

Emphasizing corporate sponsorship and commercial development

Preserving natural habitats and wildlife conservation

What concept is used to understand each group's position in the urban farm debates?

Interpretive communities Signup and view all the answers

How are urban farming and gentrification linked?

Urban gardens help 'clean up' neglected areas and become vulnerable to gentrification as redevelopment brings in more affluent residents Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary concern regarding the economic transformation of East Austin?

The disappearance of lower-income African-American and Latino communities Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes Springdale Farm from the other urban farms in East Austin?

It is the only commercially zoned farm Signup and view all the answers

How are the urban farms in East Austin affected by the economic changes in the area?

They are established in residential areas without commercial zoning Signup and view all the answers

According to the passage, what is one of the main criticisms of the alternative food community?

Exclusivity towards low-income and racial minorities Signup and view all the answers

In the context of urban health and food deserts, scholars emphasize the importance of addressing which aspect when defining community?

Racial and ethnic composition of neighborhoods Signup and view all the answers

What do Janssen, Shannon, and Busa and Gardner suggest is important to interrogate in the rhetoric of progressive food and healthy neighborhood projects?

Social values and definitions of 'community' Signup and view all the answers

According to the passage, broadening definitions of community is an indispensable component of which two areas?

Environmental justice and urban development Signup and view all the answers

What was one of the key concerns raised by PODER in the urban farming debate?

Increased traffic and noise in the residential area Signup and view all the answers

What decision did Austin City Council make regarding urban farming between 2012 and 2015?

Allowed six large events per year on residentially zoned farms Signup and view all the answers

How did the sale of Springdale Farm in 2018 impact the local food ecosystem?

It affected local chefs who sourced fresh produce Signup and view all the answers

What software did the researchers use to organize, code, and categorize their data?

NVivo 10 Signup and view all the answers

What concept did the researchers connect to Fish's notion of interpretive communities?

Coalesced community Signup and view all the answers

Which factor makes Austin a unique case for examining issues of urban farming, class, race, ethnicity, and gentrification?

Economic and population growth Signup and view all the answers

What is a common challenge in most qualitative research according to Creswell (2013)?

Generalizability Signup and view all the answers

According to Stanley Fish, how does our social ties to an interpretive community influence our interpretation of any text?

It results in disagreement between members of different communities due to their respective positions Signup and view all the answers

In the context of interpretive communities, what does Shahzad imply about the role of an interpretive community in interpreting texts?

It provides a particular way of reading a text to individuals Signup and view all the answers

How does Stanley Fish compare interpretive communities to linguistic communities?

He argues that the meaning is contingent to a set of cultural assumptions within interpretive communities Signup and view all the answers

What is the defining characteristic of coalesced communities, as mentioned in the passage?

They form due to a perceived threat and come together around core values Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary method of recruitment for the study conducted for the paper?

Contacting individuals mentioned in local newspaper editorials Signup and view all the answers

According to the passage, how does strong emotional attachment to an interpretive community influence memory and learning processes?

It increases the community's influence on remembering and learning processes Signup and view all the answers

What does Ashley Mudd suggest was the real problem with the urban farm's composting system?

The lack of care and communication it represented Signup and view all the answers

According to the passage, what do members of the East Austin community feel about the urban farms?

They feel excluded and divided Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary concern expressed by the neighborhood group regarding the urban farms in East Austin?

Fostering and perpetuating White privilege Signup and view all the answers

How do the two groups in the passage differ in their understandings of community?

One group focuses on local food and health, while the other emphasizes long-term residency, race, and being a 'good neighbor' Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary concept that guided the behaviors of members of the two groups throughout the debate?

Commitment to a set of ideals tied to the group's definition of community Signup and view all the answers

What did the members of the neighborhood advocating for stricter zoning laws consider as determinants of community membership?

Long-term residency, race, and being a 'good neighbor' Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of discussions within the farming community in Austin?

Local food sources, security, and society Signup and view all the answers

According to the passage, how are restaurants and chefs involved in the farming community in Austin?

They attend farmers' markets as a social occasion Signup and view all the answers

What do urban farmers in Austin have with each other?

Casual and friendly relationships described as friendships Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of urban farmers in East Austin according to the passage?

Prioritizing community education and hosting nonprofit events Signup and view all the answers

What does Cheryl Baskez, an urban farmer, envision her farm to be in the context of the passage?

A for-profit farm emphasizing community education and inclusivity Signup and view all the answers

How does urban farming contribute to the community in Austin according to the passage?

By demystifying accusations of exclusivity and fostering dialogue about race, class, and privilege Signup and view all the answers

According to the passage, how does Maria Garcia distinguish between 'new neighbors' and 'colonizers' in the East Austin community?

New neighbors join the neighborhood association and become involved in the community, while colonizers build large McMansions and disrupt the neighborhood culture with their goal of gentrification Signup and view all the answers

How does Seth Wills, an East Austin activist, highlight the limitation of coalesced communities being oversimplified in media depictions?

Seth Wills highlights that coalesced communities are misrepresented as being united and homogeneous in media depictions Signup and view all the answers

What causes commotion in residential neighborhoods due to large events at urban farms in East Austin, according to the passage?

Loud music, crowded street parking, and large quantities of alcohol consumption by guests Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary criticism of the alternative food community according to the passage?

It excludes racial and economic diversity Signup and view all the answers

What does the passage suggest about the relationship between interpretive communities and collective action?

They can guide collective action under specific contexts Signup and view all the answers

How does the passage characterize the understanding of 'community' by urban farmers in East Austin?

Focused on food, health, and local culture Signup and view all the answers

What does the passage suggest about the limitations of coalesced communities in media depictions?

They are misrepresented as being oversimplified Signup and view all the answers

According to the passage, what is the primary concern expressed by the neighborhood group regarding the urban farms in East Austin?

The exclusion of racial and economic diversity in defining community Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The debates about rewriting Austin's farm code were contentious due to differing interpretations of "community" between urban farmers and their supporters, and long-established East Austin neighborhood members.
Urban farmers and their supporters based their sense of community on values involving fresh, healthy food and the larger community of Austin.
Advocates of stricter zoning laws described community in terms of the East Austin neighborhood, race, class, and being a good neighbor.
The concept of interpretive communities is used to understand each group's position, with coalesced communities forming when interpretive communities feel threatened.
Both sides in the Austin urban farm debates felt susceptible to proposed changes to the city's farm ordinances and coalesced around their core principles.
Urban farming and gentrification are linked, with urban gardens helping "clean up" neglected areas and becoming vulnerable to gentrification as redevelopment brings in more affluent residents.
Urban farming as a packaged production offers social and cultural capital in the form of events, dinners, and tours, which can foster connectivity and nostalgia.
Tensions surrounding race, ethnicity, class, and debates about "right to the city" can lead to conflict between urban farmers and local residents.
City governance plays a prominent role in limiting or supporting the development of urban agriculture when conflicts arise.
Springdale Farm, located in Austin, is commercially zoned and hosts large events, attracting "foodies" and urban farmers.
In 2012, a malfunctioning compost system at HausBar Farm initiated a heated debate between two groups: urban farmers and urban residents, led by PODER.
Debate focused on number of events farms could host, particularly those not commercially zoned, and on-site processing of animals in a residential neighborhood.
PODER argued against urban farming activities in a residential area, citing increased traffic, noise, and reduced quality of life.
Urban farmers countered that their farms added value, offering fresh, local food, community spaces, and educational opportunities.
Between 2012 and 2015, Austin City Council made several decisions regarding urban farming: banned animal processing, allowed six large events per year on residentially zoned farms, and granted more events to commercially zoned Springdale Farm.
In 2018, Springdale Farm was sold to a development group, likely to be redeveloped for housing and retaining part of the land as a farm and on-site restaurant.
Some urban farms have scaled down their production, affecting local chefs who source fresh produce, and local companies now connect farmers to restaurants.
Community plays an essential role in the alternative food movement, with civic agriculturalists and their enterprises contributing to both rural and urban communities.
Critics challenge the exclusivity of many alternative food practices, arguing that they create a paradox by claiming to promote community but operating more as a metaphor than a tangible social action.
Interpretive communities are groups that shape collective interpretation into collective memory and influence how individuals understand cultural symbols (Shahzad 2011, Zelizer 1993).
Examples of interpretive communities include family, peers, teachers, media and technology, religious and political organizations (Shahzad 2011).
Strong emotional attachment to a community increases its influence on remembering and learning processes (Shahzad 2011).
Interpretive communities can transform shared beliefs or values into moral or political stances when facing a threat (this paper).
Two existing interpretive communities in Austin, TX (urban farmers and their supporters, and East Austin community activists) transformed into coalesced communities during a contentious urban farm debate (this paper).
Coalesced communities form due to a perceived threat and come together around core values (this paper).
Research for this paper was conducted through interviews with various individuals involved in the Austin urban farm debate between 2012 and 2015.
Interviewees included urban farmers, community activists, city government employees, neighborhood association representatives, food-related business owners, and food-related non-profit members (26 interviews total).
The study focused on competing understandings of "community" in the context of the urban farm zoning debates.
Recruitment for the study included contacting individuals mentioned in local newspaper editorials and using a snowballing technique to find additional participants.
Interviewees represented various racial backgrounds, including White, African American, and Hispanic/Latino.
Maria Garcia, an East Austin resident, distinguishes between "new neighbors" and "colonizers" in the community
New neighbors are those who move in, fix up their houses, join the neighborhood association, and become involved in the community
Colonizers are those who build large McMansions, put up gates, and disrupt the neighborhood culture with their goal of gentrification
Urban farmers can fit into both categories depending on their intentions and impact on the community
Maria Garcia sees farmers who prioritize profit over community involvement as colonizers, contributing to gentrification
Seth Wills, an East Austin activist, highlights the limitation of coalesced communities being oversimplified in media depictions
Juan Garcia, a PODER affiliate, emphasizes that farming itself is not the problem, but rather the changes around it that cause friction between long-time residents and newcomers
East Austin is rapidly developing, with the entertainment scene glorifying conspicuous leisure, causing concerns for long-time residents
Large events at urban farms create commotion in residential neighborhoods, with loud music, crowded street parking, and large quantities of alcohol consumption by guests
Some urban farms are seen as good neighbors, while others are perceived as bad neighbors based on their actions and impact on the community.

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Description

Explore the concepts and implications of community building in the Alternative Food Movement. Learn about the vague definitions of community and the benefits gained by community members through implementing alternative food projects.