Committing to change? A case study on volunteer engagement at a New Zealand urban farm

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Urban agriculture is a promising avenue for food system change; however, projects often struggle with a lack of volunteers—limiting both their immediate goals and the broader movement-building to which many alternative food initiatives (AFIs) aspire. In this paper, I adopt a case study approach focusing on Farm X, an urban farm with a strong volunteer culture located in Tāmaki-Makaurau Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. Drawing on a significant period of researcher participation and 11 in-depth interviews with volunteers and project coordinators, I first contextualise and explore the history of Farm X, then offer themes to describe key factors which help or hinder their volunteer engagement. Engagement is helped by <jats:italic>strong leadership</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>learning by doing, socialising around plants,</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>contributing to a movement.</jats:italic> Conversely, engagement is hindered by <jats:italic>time scarcity, economic hurdles</jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>struggles over direction</jats:italic>. Drawing on McClintock’s (Local Environ 19(2): 147–171, 2014, 10.1080/13549839.2012.752797) insights into the hybrid and contradictory nature of urban agriculture as a tool for social change, the paper continues with a discussion of two important trade-offs involved in both farm management and the movement building promoted by Farm X: focused leadership verses volunteer agency; and asking more verses less of volunteers. Finally, I suggest several avenues that may be useful for other urban agriculture projects interested in movement building.</jats:p>