Year of Award
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
Master of Science (MS)
Degree Name
Environmental Studies
Other Degree Name/Area of Focus
Sustainable Food and Farming
Department or School/College
Environmental Studies
Committee Chair
Caroline Stephens
Commitee Members
Dr. Margiana Petersen-Rockney, Peter McDonough
Keywords
agroecology, student farm, critical food systems education, experiential learning, sustainability, political agroecology
Subject Categories
Environmental Studies | Food Studies | Higher Education
Abstract
Scholars and activists identify agroecology as a crucial science, practice, and movement to move towards more just, equitable, and sustainable agriculture and food systems. Yet, the exploitative industrial food system, that deepens inequalities like food insecurity (Clapp et al., 2025), reduces farmer autonomy (Rotz, 2015), and contributes to increased carbon emissions (Lin et al., 2011) and biodiversity decline (Rotz, 2015), still dominates. Understanding and mobilizing the different spaces that teach agroecology, then, is a crucial step in challenging the dominant industrial food system. Agroecology education in university settings is an important domain to investigate as potential contributors to this movement, but in-depth analysis of such programs, particularly within student farm spaces, is underexplored in literature. Through a case study approach of two agroecology student farms at universities in the U.S., and 14 in-depth interviews with faculty, staff, and students of those programs, this research explores how agroecology is taught in student farm spaces, what institutional barriers exist in the university setting, and how experiences within and from student farms make an impact on larger food systems transformation. I assert that student farms can contribute to meaningful food systems change, but they must engage with the sociopolitical dimensions of agroecology in order to play a more substantial role in transformation. This research highlights the importance of promoting student agency, valuing and integrating multiple ways of knowing, and cultivating meaningful relationships with actors who offer perspectives outside the university institution to provide a more comprehensive and effective learning environment for political action to emerge.
Recommended Citation
Armstrong, Amelia B., "Growing Agroecology: Two Case Studies From the U.S. Student Farm Movement" (2026). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 12720.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/12720
© Copyright 2026 Amelia B. Armstrong