Capstone Problem Statement

Capstone Problem Statement: The loss of economically viable small-scale, diversified farms in rural communities surrounding

urban population concentrations has contributed to the increased dependence of both urban and rural populations on mass-produced

and globally marketed food products. This increased dependence on industrial food systems has eroded the economic and social

connections within American communities, both urban and rural, while also contributing to an increase in degenerative disease and

food insecurity in the same populations.

Edible Forest Gardens (David Jacke and Eric Toensmeier, 2005)

Edible Forest Gardens, is both a technical design manual and a philosophical foundation text for establishing perennial polycultures.

The book

employs planting design theory that is typically associated with the practice of permaculture. The goal of an edible forest
garden is to combine plants that maximize the symbiotic properties of each plant resulting in increased yields and reduced inputs while
minimizing the dependence on annual plant production. The primary end goal is to produce a more resilient and sustainable food
system that is minimally affected by seasonal and yearly fluctuations in climate. Jacke and Toensmeier present an extremely useful
reference manual built on years of combined practical experience using permaculture techniques.

This book provides an invaluable

appendix with plant properties that serves as an efficient tool to cross reference plant combinations while designing new plant

installations.

Rebuilding the Foodshed (Philip Ackerman-Leist, 2013)

Rebuilding the Foodshed, contextualizes the idea of local foodsheds and outlines the need for alternatives to the industrial food system

to produce sustainable communities. This text is critical to this research project because it provides substantive examples of

successful foodshed development while also presenting the broader policy requirements to facilitate such paradigm shifts in

production and consumption. The author currently resides in Vermont but grew up in North Carolina and, while that fact may not

contribute directly to this research, his familiarity with particular challenges to define local food in an agriculturally dependent state

that has rapidly urbanized in the decades since the Second World War are clearly apparent. The topics tackled in this text range from

policy (Food Security, Food Justice) to production (Biodiversity, Market Value) and are, therefore, excellent reference chapters

for
developing a narrative of food sovereignty for local communities.
Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE—bealocalist.org)
BALLE is a California-based non-profit whose mission is to help local communities become more prosperous by fostering economic
development that protects the ecosystem in the process. This organization provides free and for purchase resources. The primary
resources BALLE provides of use to this research project are the free toolkits and success stories. The success stories present diverse
approaches to local community development. Each individual success story may not specifically transfer to the Piedmont region of
North Carolina but, taken as a whole, these stories provide a framework for the economic and social capital required to build
sustainable community engagement. The underlying concepts of that engagement will need to be adapted to the local application.
The BALLE website also serves as a bibliography for further resources as each available toolkit has a list of links for further study.
United State Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service (USDA ERS—ers.usda.gov)
The ERS is the hub of all the statistics compiled by the USDA. This is an extensive library of economic and demographic data
relating not just to agricultural production but land use, health and wellness, and energy. The ERS is also a comprehensive source for
comparing data across time. The ERS maintains a Food Desert map that employs ESRI GIS software to correlate income levels and
vehicle access to food access. This particular tool indicates that approximately 50% of the Piedmont population experiences some
level of food access limitation whether income or transportation.