Tenth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

This research explores the question of, ‘how do you create a food justice community across a vast, rural region?’ through a case study of the North Country Food Justice Working Group, which is based in the Adirondack region of New York. The researchers have been engaging with this organization since its inception in 2017. At the organization’s first food justice summit in 2018, people put post-it notes on a physical map, showing their organizations, as well as regional dream projects. This group effort was digitized to create an interactive story map, which was unveiled at the 2019 summit. The goal of the map is to tell the story of food justice across the Adirondack region and create a living document for connection and movement growth. But, is this digital story project an effective way to create food justice community? Are there other ways to bridge a large, rural region? The case study uses the methodology of Participant Action Research to contribute to a progressive food justice movement and shares some preliminary findings based on the digital mapping project. It addresses the particular challenges and opportunities of food justice work in this rural region. The Adirondack North Country of NY is home to a small, sustainable farming resurgence, but is also a location with both extreme wealth and extreme poverty.