Thesis (M.A.)--Indiana University, 1964. / Vita. "List of informants": leaves 72-75. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Bibliographies: leaves 65-71.

Food hubs, a new model of values-based agro-food enterprise, are promoted by their advocates as a means to simultaneously improve the livelihoods of small and mid-sized farmers, increase the social and environmental sustainability of the food system, and supply the ever increasing consumer demand for health, local food. Noting the contradictions embedded in the promise of simultaneously generating both social values and economic value, this study explores how goals of promoting positive social, economic, or environmental change are achieved and/or inhibited when implemented though marketbased activities. Through a series of three in-depth case studies of food hubs in the Southeastern United States, the three papers compiled in this dissertation investigate how food hubs work to realize abstract non-financial goals (e.g. ‘helping family farmers’, ‘promoting sustainable food systems’) through the mundane work of food aggregation and distribution. Particular attention is paid to the experiences of mid-sized farmers who participate in food hubs, and the historic, material, and subjective processes that influence the development of food hubs and their many stakeholders. Highlighting the tensions and negotiations inherent to the hybrid social-and-monetary work of food hubs, I assert the need for an analytical framework that can account for the more-than-financial dimensions of economic and ethical praxis. To that end, I draw on the theories of J.K. Gibson-Graham to suggest that food hubs are best understood as a form of post-capitalist enterprise situated within a community agro-food economy, wherein reciprocal and interdependent relationships are forged between new economic subjects through deliberate and ongoing negotiation of care via the process and outcomes of diverse economic activity.

The vast majority of earned agricultural dollars in Vermont come from the dairy industry, but with volatility in the market in recent years, including rising costs of feed and the fluctuating price of milk, state officials have begun to recommend diversification of farm activities to instill resiliency into the system. The research presented in this thesis explores two avenues for diversification, farm-to-consumer sales of raw milk and local beef production. The second chapter utilizes diffusion theory to understand the prevalence of raw milk consumption in Vermont, develop a profile of the raw milk consumer, document the motivations of raw milk consumers, and identify sources and channels of information for raw milk consumers. The results of a general population telephone survey indicate that 11.6% of those surveyed reported consuming raw milk and are on average educated, middle-aged, and middle-income earners in small households. Compared to US Census data, there are no demographic differences between raw milk consumers and the average Vermonter. Motivations for consumption include preference for raw milk's flavor, believed health benefits, and knowing or being a farmer. The primary sources of information are dairy farmers, friends, family, and co-workers. The primary channel through which information is obtained is person-to-person discussions. We conclude by discussing the implication of our findings on food protection trends and future research The third chapter investigates beef processing in the state and through the Agriculture of the Middle paradigm develops a firmographic profile of processors, identifies the frequency of use of a set of industry best practices and articulates the current opportunities and barriers to beef processing. The results of the firmographic profile show that most processors utilize both fee-for-service processing and buy-in processing and that each model is an equal percentage of revenue for business. Most processors indicated clearly demarcated busy and slow seasons with no change in the number of employees during these times and little change in operation capacity. Most processors are involved with some industry best practices and most had at least one anchor client to stabilize their operations. There are opportunities in marketing and opening up new markets but the seasonality, infrastructure and consistency of supply are and may remain a hindrance to this advancement. We conclude that there is little difference between models and that most farmers and processors are already in the stages of developing positive and equitable business relationships and that the future of beef production in Vermont is strong.

The purpose of this study is to shed more light on whether the investment tax credit is effective in stimulating capital investment. The sample includes 104 local cooperatives. The majority of the data was collected from the files of the St. Paul, Minnesota, Bank for Cooperatives. The study has a single purpose of determining whether the changes to the Internal Revenue Code in the Revenue Tax Act of 1978 had an effect on the capital expenditure levels of farm supply cooperatives. In 1978 the investment tax credit became fully available to cooperatives. Previous abatement rules were abolished, and unused credit was then passed through in full to the cooperative membership. The research model employed is a pooled time-series and cross-sectional approach, and includes data for years 1975 through 1983. In addition to capital expenditure data, the company-specific variables are debt/asset ratio, local margin, and net margin. Economic variables are a net interest-inflation rate factor, cash receipts from farming, and loan volume of banks for cooperatives. Also included are dummy variables 0 and 1, trend variables 1-9, and interaction variables for all the main-effects variables.