Bowness, Evan

Small scale farming at the homestead or hobby farm scale provides opportunities for members of the public to visit farms, see livestock, and engage directly with how their food is produced. This scale is often dismissed as or minor importance, yet the biosecurity of larger farms makes these small farms often the only ones that the public can visit. My research explores whether communities want these direct connections with agriculture, and if this provides understanding of the interconnection of farming ecosystems. As a small scale egg producer, I first provide a personal autoethnography of my own operation. I then examine my customers attitudes toward my produce and farm, and analyse interview of other local producers and community members.

Author Keywords: Connectivity, Diversity, Family farming, Homesteading, Small-scale agriculture, Sustainable agriculture

Community gardens can provide access to green spaces in urban environments and intertwine within their neighbourhood when their structure and vision are clear. This study sought to understand the effects of gardens on psychosocial well-being and knowledge sharing. Gardens provide a space for regaining intergenerational and intercultural connection, even after the challenges of COVID-19. Through mixed-method short-term ethnography, I explored community engagement of the PACT Urban Peace Program non-profit community garden. PACT specifically fostered intergenerational and intercultural connection by providing a space for residents to positively (re-)connect with one another and the land while working towards a common goal. These forms of connection, paradoxically, depend on the organization's resources limiting how and when the community can access the space, because without such constraints the program becomes unsustainable long-term. The resource management of the garden creates boundaries which influence participants' psychosocial well-being. This thesis explores the dichotomy present in community gardens and encourages further exploration of their impact.

Author Keywords: Food Security, Human Ecosystems, Intergenerational and Intercultural Connection, Non-Profit Organizations, Psychosocial Well-being, Urban Agriculture