Exploring Farmers' Perspectives of the Missouri Farm to Table Program and Other Policies Designed to Assit Small Scale Minority Farmers: Who is Included? Who is Excluded?

Farm to Institution programs, which connect local farmers with food service providers in schools, prisons, hospitals, and government agencies, represent one of the fastest growing alternative foods movements in the United States. Participation in these programs extends across 49 states and the District of Columbia. The present research examines the perspectives and experiences of farmers participating in the Missouri Farm to Table program, along with farmers who are non-participants.
Drawing on semi-structured interviews with a sample of Missouri farmers, the research investigates the factors that enable some farmers to participate successfully and the barriers that prevent others from participating. The research also examines the perspectives and experiences of a small sample of black farmers in Missouri. Black farmers are under-represented in agriculture in the United States, and participation in programs like Farm to Table could help black farmers in Missouri access additional markets and income-generating opportunities.