While a rural renaissance appears to be re-emerging as part of the local food movement, there has been limited research exploring the counterurban experiences of new urban-oriented farmers (NUOFs) working towards becoming a part of the rural agricultural landscape. To this end, my thesis explores how NUOFs construct a ‘sense of place’ for themselves. Conducted in the summer of 2009, this ethnographic research examined the experiences of nine NUOFs living and working in rural communities in southern Ontario. Using a multi-dimensional ‘sense of place’ framework, this study found that NUOFs drew from the rural and urban environment to inform their place identity while the emotive bond to the physical and social environment varied greatly between each farmer. A networked ‘sense of community’ seemed based on interest rather than geography. Overall, the findings suggest the development of a sense of place among NUOFs is a diverse, dynamic and differentiated process.

1. The place of food: constructing a sense of place among new urban-oriented farmers in rural communities in southern Ontario Presented by: Minh Ngo, MA CandidateDepartment of Geography and Environmental Studies Thesis Committee: Dr. Michael Brklacich & Dr. Fiona Mackenzie May 17, 2011

2. Cultivating curiosity 2

3. Presentation overview Setting the research context Conceptual framework & methodology Results and analysis Lessons learnt 3

4. Rural renaissance and the local food movement 4

5. 5 CHANGING RURAL LANDSCAPES Declining rural farming population Emergence of new urban-oriented farmers Counterurbanization movement

6. ResearchQuestion 6 In choosing to participate in the local food movement, how are new urban-oriented farmers (NUOFs) constructing a ‘sense of place’ within rural farming communities? Objectives: What does a ‘sense of place’ look like from a spatial perspective? What are the motivations and values behind farming that bring NUOFs to rural places? What are the ‘everyday’ experiences of transitioning to a rural livelihood and lifestyle?

7. Sense of Place Conceptual Framework 7 Place identity: How and individual uses the environment to situate his or her identity (Cuba and Hummon, 1993) Place attachment: Emotional bonds (positive and negative) between people and the physical environment (Manzo, 2005) Sense of community: Belonging, support, and membership with the people living in a defined space (McMillan and Chavis, 1986)

8. Methodological framework 8 Ethnography Lived experiences Summer 2009 9 NUOF collaborators 10 weeks Figure 1. 2006 Census districts, Southern Ontario

9. Multiple data collection methods 9 Photovoice

12. Place Attachment 12

13. Sense of Community 13

14. Building a sense of community 14 Geographically dispersed and networked agricultural community of practice

15. Constructing a Sense of Place 15 NUOFs constructed a very dynamic sense of place, (i.e. sense of place is not fixed to one particular place). Uneven and differentiated process, contextualized by the lives of NUOFs. Sense of place is constantly in the process of production.

16. Lessons Learnt 16

17. Acknowledgements Dr. Mike Brklacich and Dr. Fiona Mackenzie The Nine Collaborating Farmers DGES staff (Natalie Pressburger, Judy Donaldson, Dr. Doug King) Family & Friends Mathew Brown 17