Project Agriculture as social reproduction Program Margo Katherine Wilke Undergraduate Research Internship Program Term Spring 2025 Status Accepted Research Area Anthropology Description If we need farms to feed the world, then who produces the farmers? Small farms and gardens defy straightforward cost-benefit analysis. They are homes and aspirations, spaces that enable alternative economies or connections to kith and kin. More than human, they are fundamentally alive. “Feeding the world” is a cliché in discussions of contemporary farming. It masks how our current food system produces tremendous amounts of food products while failing to feed people, support rural communities, or enhance ecological wellbeing. This project looks into the ways that agriculture intersects with social reproduction: the work of creating society and creating the environment we live in. Supervisor Andrew T Flachs Mentor Type of work required This project will involve collecting USDA NASS statistics on agrarian change, reading Federal Writer's Project life histories, and creating a literature review of research describing agriculture as social reproduction. The student will meet with the professor through a biweekly lab group to share progress. The student will work with the professor to analyze farm data statistics, develop codes and themes for the farm narratives, and create an annotated bibliography of published scholarly literature. Websites www.andrewflachs.com Qualifications prior coursework in anthropology Credit Hours 0 Weekly Hours 3 (estimated)