
Rooted Resistance
Agrarian Myth in Modern America
University of Arkansas Press
Will be published approx. on 1. September 2020
Book
Hardback
318 pages
978-1-68226-137-8 (ISBN)
Description
From farm-to-table restaurants and farmers markets, to support for fair trade and food sovereignty, movements for food-system change hold the promise for deeper transformations. Yet Americans continue to live the paradox of caring passionately about healthy eating while demanding the convenience of fast food. Rooted Resistance explores this fraught but promising food scene. More than a retelling of the origin story of a democracy born from an intimate connection with the land, this book wagers that socially responsible agrarian mythmaking should be a vital part of a food ethic of resistance if we are to rectify the destructive tendencies in our contemporary food system.
Through a careful examination of several case studies, Rooted Resistance traverses the ground of agrarian myth in modern America. The authors investigate key figures and movements in the history of modern agrarianism, including the World War I victory garden efforts, the postwar Country Life movement for the vindication of farmers' rights, the Southern Agrarian critique of industrialism, and the practical and spiritual prophecy of organic farming put forth by J. I. Rodale. This critical history is then brought up to date with recent examples such as the contested South Central Farm in urban Los Angeles and the spectacular rise and fall of the Chipotle 'Food with Integrity' branding campaign.
By examining a range of case studies, Singer, Grey, and Motter aim for a deeper critical understanding of the many applications of agrarian myth and reveal why it can help provide a pathway for positive systemic change in the food system.
Through a careful examination of several case studies, Rooted Resistance traverses the ground of agrarian myth in modern America. The authors investigate key figures and movements in the history of modern agrarianism, including the World War I victory garden efforts, the postwar Country Life movement for the vindication of farmers' rights, the Southern Agrarian critique of industrialism, and the practical and spiritual prophecy of organic farming put forth by J. I. Rodale. This critical history is then brought up to date with recent examples such as the contested South Central Farm in urban Los Angeles and the spectacular rise and fall of the Chipotle 'Food with Integrity' branding campaign.
By examining a range of case studies, Singer, Grey, and Motter aim for a deeper critical understanding of the many applications of agrarian myth and reveal why it can help provide a pathway for positive systemic change in the food system.
Reviews / Votes
"Rooted Resistance provides an accessible and engaging genealogy of agrarian myth that is at work in today's media and culture, from the seed of the twentieth century to the harvest of the twenty first."-Carrie Tippen, author of Inventing Authenticity: How Cookbook Writers Redefine Southern Identity
More details
Series
Edition
1
Language
English
Place of publication
Fayetteville
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 233 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
608 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-68226-137-8 (9781682261378)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Singer Ross Singer | Grey Stephanie Houston Grey | Motter Jeff Motter
Rooted Resistance
Agrarian Myth in Modern America
E-Book
09/2020
1st Edition
University of Arkansas Press
€36.99
Available for download
Persons
Ross Singer is associate professor of communication at Saginaw Valley State University.
Stephanie Houston Grey is associate professor of communication studies at Louisiana State University.
Jeff Motter is senior instructor of communication at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Stephanie Houston Grey is associate professor of communication studies at Louisiana State University.
Jeff Motter is senior instructor of communication at the University of Colorado Boulder.