Date of Completion


Thesis Type

College of Arts and Science Honors



First Advisor

Teresa Mares


food systems, food insecurity, farm insecurity, local food system, Vermont, podcast


Chittenden County, Vermont is experiencing the national phenomenon of food insecurity. While the visible majority of residents in this area are active in and place a high valuation on the “local food market”, there is a population of individuals experiencing food insecurity within the same county. This demographic is prevented from accessing these markets due to various limited resources. While conversations surrounding this issue exist, they often exclude the perspective of individuals who are producing food. Additionally, the existing conversations do not thoroughly address the insecurities that producers are themselves facing. Using qualitative research methods, this study explores how farmers within Chittenden County understand “local food systems”, food insecurity, and farm insecurity, as well as, how they locate themselves within these topics and how the topics relate.

The podcast component of this project can be found at