Farming in the Margins:
A 2020-2021 Needs Assessment of Alabama Sustainable Producers

 

Farming in the Margins is a synthesis of the findings of our 50-participant Farmer Needs Assessment conducted by ASAN in fall/winter 2020-21, funded by a grant from Southern SARE. The data gathered went beyond the “nuts and bolts” of farm production and marketing, to bigger-picture context about the farm family, their vision for the farm’s legacy, and broader systemic challenges. Farmers were included in the building of the assessment tool, the delivery, the analysis and reporting of the results and compensated for their time. The report explores themes around environmental threats, systemic barriers and financial obstacles small sustainable producers face in Alabama. This report is the first step in incorporating the community information gathered from this needs assessment into ASAN’s farmer-led state-wide work for a more just food system.