This summer, I'll be heading to Portland, Ore. and Berea, Ky. for fieldwork--quick trips to get my bearings on how community orchard projects in these three places (the two sites + here in Bloomington, Ind.) compare. I was fortunate to receive support for the logistical travel expenses, to have a free place to stay in Portland, and to have recently purchased a far more fuel-efficient vehicle. That meant I could use a bit of discretionary income to get the "equipment" I'll need for fieldwork. It looks something like this. I'm really impressed by all of the "equipment," and I highly recommend these simple work-arounds when you don't want to spend money on lots of things you then need to carry around.
Read More
There are only two more weeks before the Bloomington Community Orchard begins its weekly open house-style workdays. This means I'll be beginning participant observation and first-hand participation, beginning to map how workday participants engage with the site. This involves getting into gear on IRB paperwork and finalizing the structure of my research questions. While on spring break, I've been gathering exciting reading: actor-network theory (ANT), non-representational theory (NRT), feminist qualitative research methods. The result of my research I'm most eager to delve into is bringing ANT and NRT into conversation in the Orchard landscape. I'm interested to see, through mapping participants' movements through the Orchard, who and what the key players are.
Read More
