Publication Date
7-2026
Abstract
Despite extensive research on community agriculture, little attention has been paid to student-led farms or gardens (SFGs) in higher education contexts. SFGs represent a unique site for community agriculture due to their diverse stakeholders, academic affiliations, and the institutional policies they navigate. This study examines online promotional materials from 42 SFGs located on land-grant higher education campuses across the United States. Using critical discourse analysis, we (1) map these organizations’ practices and (2) identify competing discourses about community and agriculture within their promotional narratives. We identify and explain four core practices (membership, growing, distribution, and purpose) and connect these practices to discourses on community and agriculture. By analyzing how SFGs represent their purposes and practices, this study highlights the interplay between broader agricultural discourses and local actions. We contribute to scholarship on community agriculture by offering both theoretical insights and practical recommendations for students pursuing agricultural initiatives in higher education.
Document Type
Article
Keywords
community gardens, critical discourse analysis, higher education, university farms
Disciplines
Agriculture | Discourse and Text Linguistics | Food Studies | Higher Education
Format
Source
Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement
Included in
Agriculture Commons, Discourse and Text Linguistics Commons, Food Studies Commons, Higher Education Commons
