Department or Program
Environmental Studies
Abstract
Maine is home to many farming communities, each with unique ideas about what it means to be a ‘good farmer.’ This thesis studies ‘good farmer’ ideals in three of those communities, investigating the values and practices of Wabanaki growers, small-scale diversified White farmers, and Somali Bantu farmers. Through this exploration, the thesis also reveals the unique roles of community in Maine's agricultural landscape. To center the voices of individual farmers, interdisciplinary academic research is combined with oral interviews. With an agricultural history uniquely shaped by colonization, immigration, and adaptation to change, Maine is an ideal environment to study the ‘good farmer’—the findings will contribute to a more culturally sensitive, context-specific understanding of farming in Maine. Future research may investigate whether and how agricultural policy supports the diverse experiences and needs of Maine's farmers.
Level of Access
Open Access
First Advisor
Chaney, Wes
Date of Graduation
5-2025
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Recommended Citation
Ahmad, Aneeza Ariana, "To Be a ‘Good Farmer’ in a Fractured World: Wabanaki, White, and Somali Bantu Perspectives on Farming and Community in Maine" (2025). Honors Theses. 490.
https://scarab.bates.edu/honorstheses/490
Number of Pages
123
Components of Thesis
1 pdf file
Community Engagement
1
