from the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
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JAFSCD is the world’s only community-supported journal. JAFSCD content is open access (free) thanks to the generous support of our shareholders: the JAFSCD Shareholder Consortium, Library Shareholders, a growing number of Individual Shareholders, and our six JAFSCD Partners: |
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JAFSCD peer-reviewed article by Elise Neidecker (U of New Hampshire), Thomas Safford (U of New Hampshire), Matthew Hoffman (Landmark College), Michelle Miller (U of Wisconsin–Madison), Heather Darby (U of Vermont Extension), and Analena Bruce (U of New Hampshire)
The industrialization and commodification of grain production have led to significant environmental, health, and economic consequences. In response, regional grain value chains are emerging through collaborations among farmers, millers, bakers, maltsters, and brewers. These partnerships are part of a broader movement toward the development of values-based supply chains in the food system, where long-term, strategic business relationships are built on shared principles such as fairness, community commitment, and environmental sustainability.
In a new JAFSCD article, “Not a siloed effort”: Partnership strategies supporting regional grain value chains in the Upper Northeast, USA, authors Elise Neidecker, Thomas Safford, Matthew Hoffman, Michelle Miller, Heather Darby, and Analena Bruce, examine the key partnership strategies that sustain these values-based regional grain systems.
Corresponding author Elise Neidecker can be contacted at e.neidecker@gmail.com.
KEY FINDINGS
Trust is foundational: Verbal agreements are often honored as reliably as written contracts, underscoring the importance of long-standing, trust-based relationships in values-based supply chains.
Early and frequent planning: Grain processors work closely with farmers and end-users to plan crop varieties, acreage, and delivery timelines—often before planting begins. This integrated planning fosters stability in these business partnerships.
Flexible pricing built on transparency: Prices are negotiated collaboratively, grounded in actual costs and mutual respect, in contrast to the opaque and transactional nature of commodity markets.
Personal relationships build resilience: Many partners describe each other as friends as well as business collaborators, helping them navigate market shifts and difficult years together.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE AND RESEARCH Invest in both physical and relational infrastructure: While equipment and infrastructure investments are essential, so are convenings, educational efforts, and matchmaking initiatives. Public funding and grant programs should support both. Support Extension and nonprofit organizations: University Extension services and nonprofits play a vital role in facilitating knowledge exchange and relationship-building across values-based supply chains. These entities require sustained investment.
SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS
Behind thriving regional grain chains are strong relationships and shared values—the “soft infrastructure” that makes collaboration possible and resilience achievable. In a new JAFSCD article, authors examine the key partnership strategies that sustain these values-based regional grain systems. Read the entire article for free, as always, at https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2025.144.024
#regionaleconomies #grain #valueadded
Image above: A tour of Martens Farm, a midscale grain farm and processor in Central New York, during the 2023 Soil Health and Climate Resiliency Field Day (an event of New York Soil Health). Photo provided by Elise Neidecker. |
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From microscope to career maps: I discovered that food safety education is not just about microbes — it is about meeting young minds where they are and sparking curiosity that lasts.
Farmers play a critical role in food systems, rural economies, ecological sustainability, and the social fabric of communities. As farmers age, new farmers are needed to maintain the stability of the agricultural sector. Without skilled individuals willing and able to take up farming as a career, the future of domestic food production is in jeopardy. This has a range of environmental, social, and economic implications.
In a new JAFSCD article, Engaging young audiences: A reflective commentary on food safety outreach to school-aged children, author Ann Charles Vegdahl presents a detailed account of her food safety outreach activities and offers critical reflections on engaging with a young audience.
Corresponding author Ann Charles Vegdahl can be contacted at acv45@cornell.edu. KEY FINDINGS -
Focused, age appropriate content boots engagement: Elementary students responded best to one or two well-structured hands on activities. Simplifying language and narrowing the scope deepen their understanding.
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Interactive and visual tools spark curiosity: Across all grade levels, activities like a “Safe or Not?” game and petri dish demonstrations consistently captured attention and encouraged thoughtful questions.
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Personal connection and relatability matter: Initiating conversations, sharing personal career stories, and responding to spontaneous moments helped build rapport, especially with middle and high school students, whose attention and engagement can be harder to capture.
SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS What do petri dishes, word searches, and career fairs have in common? They are all part of one Extension associate’s effort to make food safety fun and accessible for K-12 students. Read the full @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2025.144.027 #FoodSafety #ScienceEducation #YouthOutreach #JAFSCD #ExtensionWork # STEM
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Is it safe to eat food that fell on the floor? That’s just one of the questions asked during Ann Vegdahl’s K-12 food safety outreach. The new JAFSCD commentary explores what it takes to make science stick with young learner and why petri dishes might be more powerful than candy. Read the full @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2025.144.027
#FoodSafety #ScienceEducation #YouthOutreach #JAFSCD #ExtensionWork # STEM
Photo Above: Children smell a Jalapeno pepper during a science fair at Patrick Henry Elementary School (Heidelberg, Germany) in 2012. Photo by Samantha Rogers; shared on Flickr by the Herald Post under CC BY-NC 2.0 |
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Join the 5th webinar in the Sustainable Diets series, Setting the Table, on Wednesday, October 22, 12:00-1:00 PM EDT. Learn and chat about the connections between trade, economics, design, and sustainable food systems. |
This webinar series is organized by JAFSCD Shareholder Dalhousie University. |
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