Feeding Philadelphia: The Market for Fresh Food and the Places It Won’t Go

Research in Progress

By To Nhu Thanh Huynh Mentor: Andrew Deener, Ph. D

To Nhu’s Summer Bucket List

• Learn how to swim • Cook something edible • Gain an in-depth understanding and

hands-on experiences on different types of qualitative research

To Nhu’s Summer Bucket List

To Nhu’s Summer Bucket List

• Learn how to swim • Cook something edible • Gain an in-depth understanding and

hands-on experiences on different types of qualitative research

Research Agenda

1. Historical transformation of fresh produce market

2. Morality of food production/distribution

3. Wholesaling, retailing, and the USDA politics of fresh aesthetics

4. Reconnecting farm to city through alternative markets

5. Organizational responses to overcoming limited fresh food access

Specific Questions

1. Historical transformation of fresh produce market

• What types of commercial markets were historically created for produce and how did they arise?

• What happened to grocery stores in Philadelphia over time?

2. Morality of Food Production/Distribution

How were the concepts of “farmer’s market,” “healthy food” and “fresh food” represented in popular culture?

Research Significance

Research Significance (Cont.)

Research Significance (Cont.)

• Food Desert, not Dessert

• “Urban areas with 10 or fewer stores and no stores with more than 20 employees”

(Hendrickson et. al, 2006, p. 372)

Source: Philadelphia Department of Public Health, the Food Trust

Research Approach

Historical Ethnography

History

Ethnography

Analysis based on principles of grounded theories

Specific Questions

1. Historical transformation of fresh produce market

• What types of commercial markets were historically created for produce and how did they arise?

• What happened to grocery stores in Philadelphia over time?

2. Morality of Food Production/Distribution How were the concepts of “farmer’s market,” “healthy food” and

“fresh food” represented in popular culture?

Methods

1. Search newspaper archives (mostly 20th century) for concepts such as ‘farmer’s market’, ‘fresh food’, ‘supermarket’, and ‘grocery stores’

The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Philadelphia Tribunes, Evening Bulletins etc.

2. Work with other secondary and primary sources in library archives and online databases

Preliminary Results

Year 1859-1864 1965-1889 1900-1949 1950-1969 1970-1989 1990-2007 Number of articles

3 28 412 1324 1693 2048

Source: ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2007) Key word: Farmer Market Total hits: 5506

Preliminary Results: Newspaper Representations

• Farmer’s market has been long seen as a

tool for community development

Preliminary Results: Newspaper Representations (cont.)

• The stories of grocery stores and farmer’s

markets were a part of a narrative about industrialization and (de-)urbanization in America

Preliminary Results: Newspaper Representations (cont.)

• The notions of “fresh” and “healthy” food were culturally constructed

What’s so chic about a country pumpkin?

• The notions of “fresh” and “healthy” food were culturally constructed

What’s so chic about a country pumpkin?

• The notions of “fresh” and “healthy” food were culturally constructed

Preliminary Results: Newspaper Representations (cont.)

Preliminary Results: Newspaper Representations (cont.)

Acknowledgements

• Andrew Deener, Ph.D • Joanne • Elizabeth • LDI staff: Hoag, Megan, Renee