Unay-Gailha d, İlkay; Chaskin, Robe J.; B ennan, Ma k A.
A icle — Published Ve sion
How do u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es communica e on a ming ac oss
socie y? An explo a ion o awa eness, esponsibili y, and p ide
messages on social media
Ag icul u e and Human Values
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Leibniz Ins i u e o Ag icul u al De elopmen in T ansi ion Economies (IAMO), Halle (Saale)
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Unay-Gailha d, İlkay; Chaskin, Robe J.; B ennan, Ma k A. (2025) : How do
u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es communica e on a ming ac oss socie y? An explo a ion o awa eness,
esponsibili y, and p ide messages on social media, Ag icul u e and Human Values, ISSN 1572-8366,
Sp inge , Be lin, Vol. 42, Iss. 3, pp. 1671-1687,
h ps://doi.o g/10.1007/s10460-025-10710-7 ,
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Ag icul u e and Human Values (2025) 42:1671–1687
h ps://doi.o g/10.1007/s10460-025-10710-7
İlkay Unay-Gailha d
[email p o ec ed]
Robe J. Chaskin
[email p o ec ed]
Ma k A. B ennan
[email p o ec ed]
1 Leibniz Ins i u e o Ag icul u al De elopmen in T ansi ion
Economies (IAMO), Theodo -Liese -S . 2,
06120 Halle (Saale), Ge many
2 UNESCO Chai on Global Ci izenship Educa ion o
Sus ainable Peace h ough You h and Communi y
Engagemen , Depa men o Ag icul u al Economics,
Sociology, and Educa ion, The Pennsyl ania S a e Uni e si y
(PSU), 307 A msby Building, Uni e si y Pa k, PA
16802, USA
3 Kipha Cen e o Global Heal h and Social De elopmen ,
The Uni e si y o Chicago, 969 E. 60 h S ee , Chicago,
IL 60637, USA
4 UNESCO Chai o Inclusi e U banism, C own Family
School o Social Wo k, Policy, and P ac ice, The Uni e si y
o Chicago, 969 E. 60 h S ee , Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Abs ac
Gene a ional enewal p oblems in he a ming sec o highligh he u gen need o a ac new a me s and add ess mis-
concep ions abou ag icul u al ca ee s. This can be achie ed by s eng hening he connec ion be ween he a ming com-
muni y and socie y. Emphasizing he al e na i e ood mo emen ’s ole in a ac ing new-gene a ion a me s, we ocus
on he u ban ag icul u e mo emen and i s communica ion e o s o be e unde s and he changing ela ionship be ween
ag icul u e and socie y. This s udy examines how u ban ag icul u e communica es abou a ming by analyzing he use o
social media messages ela ed o awa eness, esponsibili y, and p ide. Analyses a e based on he p o essionals’ pe spec-
i es (28 in-dep h key in o man in e iews) and social media da a ( ou selec ed Ins ag am accoun s) in Pennsyl ania
and Illinois. We u ilized quali a i e hema ic coding, guided by Polymedia heo y and he No m Ac i a ion Model. The
esul s indica e ha dialogues a ound u ban ag icul u e encou age indi iduals o engage in discussions abou heal hy ea -
ing and o c i ically assess hei unde s anding o indus ial ag icul u e. Ou s udy e eals ha Ins ag am messages o en
emphasize esponsibili y and p ide, which play a signi ican ole in s o y elling. These p ide messages, linked o pe sonal,
ela ional, o p o essional achie emen s, a e p e alen in he communica ion. Howe e , e y ew messages add ess he
economic aspec s o a ming, sugges ing ha inancial issues and access o esou ces a e no p io i ized in hese discus-
sions. The s udy con i ms ha he online ep esen a ion o u ban a me s enhances hei pe sonal ecogni ion by showcas-
ing he di e si y o a me s in e ms o ace, gende , e hnici y, and a m size, which di e om how adi ional a me s
a e depic ed in con en ional media.
Keywo ds Gene a ional enewal p oblems in a ms · U ban ag icul u e · Social media analyses · Ins ag am · Fa ming
ca ee · Emo ion o p ide · Online communica ion · You h in ag icul u e
Accep ed: 16 Janua y 2025 / Published online: 25 Feb ua y 2025
© The Au ho (s) 2025
How do u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es communica e on a ming ac oss
socie y? An explo a ion o awa eness, esponsibili y, and p ide
messages on social media
İlkayUnay-Gailha d1,2 · Robe J.Chaskin3,4· Ma k A.B ennan2
1 3
İ. Unay-Gailha d e al.
In oduc ion
The gene a ional enewal p oblem in a ming is a c i ical
issue ha in ol es he di icul ies o a ac ing indi iduals
who a e capable and willing o pu sue ca ee s in ag icul u e.
This phenomenon is pa icula ly exace ba ed by an ongoing
end o an aging a ming popula ion, especially in he U.S.,
whe e an inc easing p opo ion o a me s a e app oaching
o ha e eached e i emen age (USDA 2022).
Add essing he gene a ional enewal in ag icul u e
equi es suppo ing he con inua ion o a ming wi h young
and new a me s. While a ming is an essen ial sec o , i
s ill needs o be mo e adequa ely unde s ood by he b oade
socie al con ex , which is o en plagued by socie al miscon-
cep ions (Pinke on e al. 2021; Szymkowiak and Rhodes-
Reese 2022). Enhancing indi iduals’ ca ee aspi a ions in
ag icul u e is one o he key s eps in add essing he chal-
lenges ela ed o gene a ional enewal p oblems in a ming.
Recen s udies examining he ag icul u al communi-
ca ion e o s o al e na i e ood mo emen s e eal he
impac o hese mo emen s’ communica ion s a egies on
he eme gence o new-gene a ion a me s. Al e na i e ood
mo emen s ela ed o ag icul u e and ood sys ems, such
as he u ban ag icul u e mo emen , local ood, o ganic
ood mo emen , and ai - ade mo emen , challenge he
indus ial ood sys em by ad oca ing o socially jus , en i-
onmen ally sus ainable, and economically iable ood
p ac ices (Allen 2003; S e ens e al. 2016; Unay-Gailha d
and B eannan 2022).
Besides he impo ance o al e na i e ood mo emen s
on he ansi ion o he ag icul u al sec o , hese mo emen s
a e also p ominen in esea ch on a m en y s udies in he
U.S. Resea che s in e es ed in a m en y beha io docu-
men ed ha al e na i e ood mo emen s b ing he end
o inc easing numbe s o new a me s om amilies who
a e a leas wo gene a ions emo ed om ag icul u e, and
beginning a me s who en e ag icul u e as a second ca ee
(B uce 2019; Seymou and U e 2021). As documen ed
by B uce 2019; al e na i e ood mo emen s play a ole in
a ming-ca ee cons uc ion by p o iding ca ee aspi a ions,
aining oppo uni ies (e.g., in e nships and app en iceship
p og ams), and ca ee p og ession wi h new ma ke ing
s a egies.
This s udy seeks o posi ion al e na i e ood mo emen s’
communica ion e o s as cen al o unde s anding he
e ol ing ela ionship be ween ag icul u e and socie y. The
li e a u e on al e na i e ood mo emen s and hei in luence
on a ming-ca ee cons uc ion has been hea ily ocused on
ace- o- ace in e ac ions. E en hough some schola ship on
a m en y has gi en insigh s in o he con ibu ion o digi al
media o a ming-ca ee cons uc ion by p o iding a space
in which ca ee ideas can g ow and iewe s can acqui e
he sel -con idence o a ca ee in en ion (Iles e al. 2023;
DeLong e al. 2023; Unay-Gailha d and B annan, 2022;
Unay-Gaiha d and Simoes, 2022), a clea unde s anding o
he po en ial o digi al communica ion on he a ming-ca ee
cons uc ion is s ill lacking. In his s udy, we aim o ill his
esea ch gap and explo e he online communica ion e o s
o al e na i e ood mo emen s on a ming ac oss socie y.
The ise o in e ne use made he al e na i e ood mo e-
men s one o he mos p e alen o ms. Th ough he demas-
si ica ion o communica ions, he in e ne ’s de elopmen
p omo es al e na i e ood mo emen s by enabling mo e
pe sonal in e ac ions (P ess and A naud 2011). The online
p esence o al e na i e ood mo emen s b ough a new
e a in he public pe cep ion o a ming as a p o ession by
eshaping he public image o a me s (B uce 2019). Digi al
media pla o ms, including bu no limi ed o web pages,
blogs, Ins ag am, Reddi , Facebook, X, TikTok, and You-
Tube, o e a unique en i onmen ha enables indi iduals
o pa icipa e in and in luence al e na i e ood mo emen s
(Unay-Gailha d e al. 2023). These digi al spaces acili a e
cu a ing and dissemina ing con en ela ed o ag icul u e
and ood issues, allowing use s o consume and con ibu e
o he dialog su ounding al e na i e ood p ac ices.
This esea ch con ibu es o unde s anding o a me s’
online ep esen a ions in al e na i e ood mo emen s by
examining wo key aspec s om an ag icul u al communi-
ca ion pe spec i e: how hey a e amed and by which ones.
As highligh ed by B uce (2019), he adi ional pe cep ions
o a ming and a me s in he media a e signi ican ly ans-
o ming. O ganiza ions such as The G eenho ns and he
Na ional Young Fa me s Coali ion, p o icien in u ilizing
media, ha e con ibu ed o a eimagined po ayal o begin-
ning a me s. Con a y o he adi ional a me images,
new a me s a e inc easingly depic ed as “young, u ban and
subu ban beginning a me s wi h no a ming expe ience.”
Acco ding o he s udy by P ess and A naud (2011), Com-
muni y Suppo ed Ag icul u e (CSA) has gained legi imacy
as a ma ke o m in which hei online p esence plays a
ole in ansmi ing cul u al imagina y. The au ho s a gue
ha he online p esence o CSA has an unde lying “ one o
mo al supe io i y” ha hey demons a e by opposing he
indus ial ood sys em. These po ayals o “young, u ban
and subu ban beginning a me s wi h no a ming expe i-
ence” and use o “ one o mo al supe io i y” call o a u -
he explo a ion o he communica ion e o s o al e na i e
ood mo emen s.
To deepen ou explo a ion o ela ionships and imp o e
cla i y, we ocused ou s udy on one o he essen ial al e -
na i e ood mo emen s: he u ban ag icul u e mo emen .
U ban ag icul u e de ined as he “cul i a ion, p ocessing,
and dis ibu ion o ag icul u al p oduc s ( ood o non- ood)
in u ban and subu ban a eas” by he USDA (2024). In
1 3
1672
How do u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es communica e on a ming ac oss socie y? An explo a ion o awa eness,…
ecen yea s, u ban ag icul u e has expe ienced signi ican
g ow h as a possible al e na i e o indus ial ag icul u e ha
can mee he needs o an inc easing u ban popula ion. O e -
all, u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es suppo economic, social,
and en i onmen al de elopmen in ci ies by imp o ing
access o esh ood, de eloping ecological alues, p o id-
ing educa ional p og ams, and de eloping communi ies.
This pape in es iga es u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es in
Pennsyl ania and Illinois. As pa o he la ge p ojec , his
s udy add esses he ollowing b oade ques ion: “How do
social media accoun s managed by u ban ag icul u e ini-
ia i es communica e on a ming ac oss socie y?” The
s udy app oached he ques ion wi h a wo-s age quali a-
i e esea ch design. I aimed o explo e online ag icul u al
communica ion by u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es by assessing
he p o essionals’ pe spec i es (quali a i e analyses-I), ol-
lowed by p ospec ing ia social media analyses (quali a i e
analyses-II).
In he quali a i e analyses-I, we app oached he ques-
ion Q1: How a e ela ionships and in e ac ions shaped
and managed wi hin social media accoun s o u ban ag i-
cul u e ini ia i es? We aim o explo e he p o essionals’
expe iences and a i udes (da a includes in-dep h in e iews
(N = 29) wi h leade s, di ec o s, policy adminis a o s, and
digi al communica o s om u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es)
ep esen ing hei pe spec i es on u ban ag icul u e com-
munica ion in social media and i s in luence on he images
o he a ming p o ession. The hema ic coding app oach
is guided by he Polymedia heo y (Madianou and Mille
2018), which in es iga ed he in eg a ed s uc u e o social
media in managing as well as engaging online ela ionships
e ec i ely.
In he quali a i e analyses-II, he s udy app oached ques-
ion Q2: How a e u ban a ming issues, ac o s, and ac ions
communica ed in social media accoun s o u ban ag i-
cul u e ini ia i es? The s udy is in e es ed in social media
analyses ( he da a includes messages pos ed by u ban ag i-
cul u e ini ia i es on he selec ed ou Ins ag am accoun s)
be ween 2022 and 2024. Wi hin he lis o 1100 pos s, we
explo ed he communica ing u ban ag icul u e pa e ns and
he posi ion o he a ming p o ession. The No m Ac i a-
ion Model (Schwa z 1977) guides he hema ic coding
app oach, which explains he al uis ic beha io s o unde -
s and p o-social and p o-en i onmen al in en ions.
This pape is s uc u ed in o six sec ions. The second
sec ion p o ides he backg ound in o ma ion wi h a li -
e a u e e iew. The hi d sec ion gi es a s udy amewo k
wi h guided heo ies. In he ou h sec ion, he used da a,
esea ch design, and me hodology a e de ailed. The esul s
sec ion p esen s he indings o quali a i e analyses-I and II,
espec i ely. The inal sec ion summa izes he s udy esul s
and p o ides inpu s o u u e esea ch.
Backg ound
The li e a u e e iew i s p o ides he key heo e ical a gu-
men s explaining engagemen in u ban ag icul u e ini ia-
i es. We hen e iew he empi ical e idences ha gi e
insigh s in o he ela ionship be ween online u ban ag icul-
u e engagemen and ca ee in en ion in a ming.
U ban ag icul u e: a mo al economy pe spec i e
U ban ag icul u e is a o m o ood and non- ood p oduc ion
ha occu s in u ban and subu ban a eas and, in some cases,
is accompanied by ood p ocessing and dis ibu ion (Russ
and Gaus 2021; USDA 2024). Th ee main aspec s cha ac-
e ize u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es. Fi s , i includes a ious
si es such as communi y ga dens, oo op ga dens, indi id-
ual ga dens, ins i u ional ga dens, ai - ade ood-p oduce
coope a i es, ho icul u e, aquacul u e, and hyd oponics.
Second, i in eg a es in o he b oade ood sys em h ough
e o s such as u ban a me s’ ma ke s and CSA ini ia i es,
a m- o- es au an , and ood- o-school linkages Las ly, i
is mul i unc ional, o e ing social, en i onmen al, poli i-
cal, and economic bene i s (In e na ional Resou ce Panel,
2021; Diekmann e al. 2020; P adhan e al. 2023; P o é e
al. 2019; Russ and Gaus 2021).
U ban ag icul u e in he U.S. is a g owing indus y, wi h
oo s in he la e 19 h and ea ly 20 h cen u ies (Fi ol e al.
2018; Ranga ajan and Rio dan 2019), and plays a signi i-
can ole in os e ing mo al alues (e.g., sel - eliance, sus-
ainabili y, and e hical consump ion) wi hin communi ies
wi h ini ia i es ha in e sec wi h mo ali y and economic
ac i i ies and challenge he con en ional iew ha mo al-
i y and he ma ke a e opposing o ces (Weissman 2015).
U ban ag icul u e ini ia i es a e su ounded by p o-social,
p o-en i onmen al, and p o-poli ical in en ions and beha -
io s and e e o he p oduc ion, dis ibu ion, and dissemina-
ion o mo al alues, emo ions, and no ms wi hin a social,
cul u al, and poli ical space.
P o-social beha io s wi hin u ban ag icul u e encompass
in en ional ac ions o bene i onesel , o he s, and he en i on-
men . The u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es p omo e he wel a e
o indi iduals, g oups, o o ganiza ions by p o iding ood
secu i y, encou aging heal hy ea ing habi s, o e ing educa-
ion on ood and a ming, and os e ing communi y building
and school connec edness among s uden s. I also includes
communi y-building e o s by hos ing publicly open e en s
and p og ams and being in ol ed in pa icipa o y ac ions
ha os e communal suppo and social-emo ional g ow h
h ough which pa icipan s ecei e ecogni ion o engaging
in u ban ag icul u e (Das and Ramaswami 2022; DeMa sh
2022; Dimi i e al. 2016; Fil ol 2018).
1 3
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İ. Unay-Gailha d e al.
au ho s highligh he ole o he in e ne in building ha
legi imacy by p omo ing mo e pe sonal communica ions
by he demassi ica ion o communica ions. The au ho s
conclude ha CSA p og ams a e an essen ial example o a
cul u al imagina y ha induces a change in ag i- ood p o-
duc ion and ma ke ing in he U.S. Reed and Keech (2018)
s udied u ban ag icul u e ac i ism on Twi e by examining
use s’ and iewe s’ commen s and explo ing how people
pa icipa e in socie y ia social media. Findings show ha
while ma e ials pos ed by use s a e mainly conce ned wi h
c ea ing a sha ed, no ma i e pic u e o u ban ood which
sus ains he ne wo ks, an examina ion o iewe s’ com-
men s ound ha hese online ne wo ks a e a p ima y ool
o social in e ac ion and p omo e p o-social online beha io .
In he second line o esea ch, McGinnis e al. (2020)
in es iga ed he online ou each me hodologies o each-
ing millennials. This gene a ion is an impo an sou ce o
cus ome s o he ho icul u e indus y, accoun ing o one-
qua e o all ho icul u e pu chases in 2018. The au ho s
sha e examples o ini ia i es (e.g., Seed You Fu u e) ha
p omo e ho icul u e as a ib an ca ee oppo uni y and
highligh he ole o social media, pa icula ly Ins ag am,
as a co ne s one o millennial ou each. Pos s ocusing on
building a wo-way pa ne ship by emphasizing sha ed al-
ues o sus ainabili y, local oods, and wellness would be
appealing e minology and subjec ma e .
A s udy by Solis-Toapan a e al. (2020) is an example
o he ca ee -expe imen a ion ole o social media in u ban
a ming, pa icula ly indoo ga dening wi h hyd oponics.
The s udy in es iga ed he social media pla o ms o Reddi
(use -gene a ed in o ma ion and esou ce exchange among
niche online communi ies), analyzing use s’ pos s and iew-
e s’ commen s on opics such as p oduc ion sys ems, plan
ligh ing, and he oo -one en i onmen . The au ho s’ ind-
ings show how online pla o ms gene a e an oppo uni y o
add ess knowledge gaps and online ou each e o s help
os e posi i e expe iences among in e es ed indi iduals
in a ming. S udies by B oad (2020) and Manning (2019)
epo he impac o social media communica ion s a egies
on a B ooklyn-based comme cial indoo e ical a m ha
specializes in hyd oponically g own he bs. The au ho s doc-
umen ed he impac o he company’s public engagemen
campaign “Nex -Gen Fa me s” in p omo ing ca ee aining
ini ia i es as a pa h o c ea ing ca ee aspi a ions as ound-
e s o indoo u ban a ming companies.
S udy amewo k
This s udy akes an in eg a i e app oach o explo e online
communica ion o u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es on a ming
ac oss socie y. The analyses a e guided by he Polymedia
P o-en i onmen al in en ions and beha io s wi hin u ban
ag icul u e ini ia i es in ol e delibe a e ac ions shaping
mo al alues. These a e accomplished by os e ing a sense
o connec ion o na u e, o e ing hands-on a ming, ood,
and en i onmen al educa ion wi h an emphasis on ecojus-
ice knowledge, p omo ing ecological ci izenship, compos -
ing a u ban ag icul u e si es, dis ibu ing inished compos
o u ban ag icul u e si es, and pa icipa ing in g een p oj-
ec s and clima e ad ocacy ini ia i es (Cease 2012; Fi ol
e al. 2018; Hal ey e al. 2021; Mu ah-Hanson e al. 2022;
Schnelle e al. 2022; T a aline and Hunold 2010).
P o-poli ical in en ions and beha io s wi hin he u ban
ag icul u e ini ia i es bounded wi h ci ic engagemen (as
one o m o poli ical pa icipa ion) and awa eness o poli i-
cal issues on social jus ice, ood dese , ood jus ice, acially
disc imina o y u ban policies, and poli ical o ganizing
(Russ and Gaus 2021; Son i e al. 2016; Weissman 2015).
P o-poli ical beha io s also include go e nmen al suppo
and he in eg a ion o ag icul u e in o u ban planning and
policies (P o é e al. 2019). As documen ed by Hal ey e
al. (2021), in he scope o u ban ag icul u e policies, he e
is an inc easing equency o go e nmen s engaging in
public-p i a e pa ne ships, and hese pa ne ships illus-
a e he g owing ole o ci il socie y g oups as collabo a-
o s in he municipal go e nmen p ocesses a he han jus
s akeholde s.
The online p esence o u ban ag icul u e
U ban a me s and o he u ban ag icul u al s akeholde s
manage and engage wi h a ious ypes o digi al media,
such as websi es, blogs, social media, and mobile applica-
ions o in o ma ion exchange h ough pe sonalized com-
munica ion. E en hough he impo ance o online ou each
me hodologies o ag icul u e communica ion (Lubelle and
McRobe 2018) is well-es ablished, we need o gain mo e
knowledge on he impac o he online p esence o u ban
ag icul u e ini ia i es on he changing pe cep ions owa d
a ming ca ee s (Unay-Gailha d and B ennan 2022).
The e iewed s udies in he a ea o he online dimension
o u ban ag icul u e engagemen clus e along wo lines o
esea ch: (i) s udies p o iding insigh s in o he pe sonal,
ela ional, and o ganiza ional alues and cul u al imagina -
ies p omo ed by online u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es (P ess
and A nould 2011; Reed and Keech 2018, 2019) and (ii)
s udies epo ing indings on he ela ionship be ween social
media usage and ca ee in en ion in a ming ia ca ee expo-
su e and ca ee expe imen a ion (B oad 2020; Manning
2019; McGinnis e al. 2020; Solis-Toapan a e al. 2020).
In he i s a ea o esea ch, a s udy by P ess and A nould
(2011) p o ides a socio-his o ical pe spec i e on how CSA
p og ams ha e gained legi imacy as a ma ke o m. The
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How do u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es communica e on a ming ac oss socie y? An explo a ion o awa eness,…
di e en engagemen s and sha e hei social media manage-
men p ac ices.
S ep II: explo a ion ia Ins ag am messages
In he second s ep o he quali a i e analyses, he s udy
app oached Q2 wi h he guidance o he No m Ac i a ion
Model. The No m Ac i a ion Model explains al uis ic
beha io s and is used by schola s o unde s and p o-social
and p o-en i onmen al ini ia ions and beha io s (De G oo
and S eg 2009a; G oo and S eg 2009b; Hunecke e al. 2001;
Onwezen e al. 2013). In ou s udy, he No m Ac i a ion
Model de eloped by Schwa z (1977) was used as a ame-
wo k o unde s anding indi iduals’ p o-social and p o-
en i onmen al in en ions o engage in u ban ag icul u al
ini ia i es. Pe sonal no ms a e he co e o he No m Ac i a-
ion Model and a e used o p edic in en ions and beha -
io s de e mined by awa eness (awa eness o consequences),
esponsibili y (asc ibing esponsibili y), and pe sonal no ms
(e.g., emo ion o p ide as an i em in he measu emen ).
Awa eness messages
A key elemen o he No m Ac i a ion Model is ha when
indi iduals become awa e o he possible nega i e ou -
comes o hei ac ions, i can ac i a e hei pe sonal no ms.
These ac i a ed no ms hen encou age hem o adop mo e
sus ainable p ac ices. This ac i a ion p ocess is essen ial
o p omo ing p o-social and p o-en i onmen al beha io s
as esponsible ac ions. The awa eness o consequences is
de ined as he nega i e consequences o no pe o ming he
speci ic beha io (e.g., ag eeing wi h he s a emen “global
heo y (Madianou and Mille 2018) and he No m Ac i a ion
Model (Schwa z 1977), and he in e sec ion among hem.
Figu e 1 illus a es he s udy amewo k, including wo-s ep
quali a i e analyses ha add ess wo s udy ques ions.
S ep I: Explo a ion ia p o essional pe spec i es
In he i s s ep o he quali a i e analyses, he s udy
app oached Q1, and he Polymedia heo y, which is dedi-
ca ed o unde s anding he complexi ies o digi al communi-
ca ion, in o med he analy ical s eps. The e m “polymedia”
e e s o he in eg a ed ela ionships and in e ac ions c ea ed
by digi al media a he han iewing media as an isola ed
ool (such as adi ional ‘one- o-many’ media).
Social media engagemen & managemen
The Polymedia heo y sugges s an in eg a ed s uc u e whe e
indi iduals engage wi h and manage digi al pla o ms. Digi-
al media engagemen includes connec ing wi h, in e ac ing
wi h, and building ela ionships h ough digi al channels.
Digi al media managemen e e s o he p ocess o o ganiz-
ing, c ea ing con en , and measu ing all media asse s. This
in eg a ed s uc u e con ibu es o a b oade communica i e
ecology ha shapes social ela ionships and eali ies.
Resea ch examining young a me s’ ca ee pa hs h ough
a sociological lens shows ha digi al media no only ans-
o ms echnology bu also impac s beha io s and ela ion-
ships, esul ing in emo ional, social, and mo al e ec s
(Unay-Gailha d and B ennan 2023). This s udy in es iga es
he expe iences and pe spec i es o p o essionals in ol ed
in u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es as hey e lec on hei
Fig. 1 The s udy amewo k: explo ing ag icul u al communica ion on
social media by u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es. (1) The g aphical ep e-
sen a ion o he No m Ac i a ion Model was adap ed om De G oo
and S eg 2009; Onwezen e al. (2013); (2) The in e sec ion o he Poly-
media heo y and he No m Ac i a ion Model (accep ed as a media o
model in which awa eness o consequences in luences pe sonal no ms
ia asc ibed esponsibili y) ha e buil he s udy amewo k; (3) Q1:
How a e ela ionships and in e ac ions shaped and managed wi hin
social media accoun s o u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es? and Q2: How
a e u ban a ming issues, ac o s, and ac ions communica ed in social
media accoun s o u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es?; (4) The bolded and
i alicized hemes a e de ailed in he ollowing
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İ. Unay-Gailha d e al.
wa ming is a p oblem o socie y”; Choi e al. 2015; De
G oo and S eg 2009).
Responsibili y messages
Ano he key elemen o he No m Ac i a ion Model is
he asc ip ion o esponsibili y, which signi ican ly in lu-
ences pe sonal no ms, a ec ing in en ions and beha io s.
The No m Ac i a ion Model sugges s ha people a e mo e
inclined o engage in p o-social o p o-en i onmen al
ac ions when hey ecognize he nega i e impac s o hei
beha io s and eel a pe sonal obliga ion o add ess hem.
Asc ip ion o esponsibili y is desc ibed as he eelings o
esponsibili y o he nega i e consequences o no pe o m-
ing a speci ic beha io (e.g., ag eeing wi h he s a emen , “I
eel join ly esponsible o he ene gy p oblems”; Choi e al.
2015; De G oo and S eg 2009).
P ide messages
The emo ion o p ide plays an impo an ole in he No m
Ac i a ion Model, especially when i comes o os e ing
p o-social and p o-en i onmen al in en ions and beha io s.
P ide, as a sel -conscious emo ion, can se e as a mo i a o ,
pa icula ly when indi iduals an icipa e posi i e ou comes
associa ed wi h hei ac ions.
The emo ion o p ide is a key componen in measu ing
pe sonal no ms, as highligh ed in p e ious s udies (Ha land
e al. 1999; Hoppe and Nielsen 1991; Thøge sen 2009; Vin-
ing and Eb eo 1992). Guided by hese s udies, we consid-
e ed p ide as an emo ion associa ed wi h pe sonal no ms.
This s udy used he au hen ic p ide scale p oposed by T acy
and Robins (2007), which includes wo ds o accomplish-
men , achie emen , con idence, ul illmen , p oduc i i y,
sel -wo h, and success, and conno es he ull ange o aca-
demic, social, mo al, and in e pe sonal accomplishmen s.
This esea ch asses he p ide messages sha ed by u ban
ag icul u e ini ia i es and explo e he ques ion o how
u ban ag icul u e issues, ac o s, and ac ions a e communi-
ca ed by exp essing he emo ions om he speci ic achie e-
men s: pe sonal, ela ional, and p o essional achie emen s.
(de ailed de ini ions p o ided in Table 1).
By in eg a ing he No m Ac i a ion Model wi h he Poly-
media heo y, he s udy aims o enhance he explana o y
powe ega ding indi iduals’ p o-social and p o-en i on-
men al in en ions o engage in u ban ag icul u al ini ia i es
ha may shape social ela ionships and eali ies (e.g., al e
misconcep ions abou ag icul u e, and c ea e ca ee aspi a-
ions in a ming ia messages in digi al media).
Table 1 O e iew o da a s uc u e-quali a i e social media analyses
LOS Themes and Sub-Themes
I-Awa eness o consequences: Messages aim o inc ease
he awa eness o he nega i e consequences o onesel ,
o he s, o o he hings when no ac ing p o-socially and
p o-en i onmen ally by using sou ces o scien i ic in o -
ma ion, ac s, and hough s.
M i) Awa eness o consequences o onesel : Mes-
sages ha aim o inc ease awa eness o he pe o ming
o no pe o ming o a pa icula beha io ha e ce ain
consequences (nega i e/posi i e) o onesel .
S ii) Awa eness o consequences o o he s: Mes-
sages ha inc ease he awa eness o pe o ming o no
pe o ming a pa icula beha io ha e ce ain conse-
quences (nega i e/posi i e) o o he s and socie y.
S iii) Awa eness o consequences o he en i-
onmen : Messages ha inc ease he awa eness o he
pe o ming o no pe o ming o a pa icula beha io
ha e ce ain consequences (nega i e/posi i e) o he
en i onmen .
II-Responsibili y: Messages communica e an imp o e-
men o esponsibili y o he nega i e consequences o
no ac ing p o-socially and p o-en i onmen ally.
M i ) Sel - esponsibili y: Messages ha sugges
in ol emen in esponsible, answe able, o accoun able
ac ions wi hin one’s sel -con ol.
S ) Ci ic esponsibili y: Messages ha sugges
ac i e pa icipa ion in public li e o imp o e he li e
o one’s communi y o add ess b oade public issues
beyond one’s sel - esponsibili y.
S i) P o essional esponsibili y: Messages ha
communica e he good quali ies o a p o ession while
applying skills and eaching decisions o , o on behal ,
o o he s, as p o essionals.
III- Emo ion o P ide: Messages exp essed he emo-
ions om he speci ic achie emen s by using au hen ic
p ide scale wo ds o accomplishmen , achie emen , con-
idence, ul illmen , p oduc i i y, sel -wo h, and success.
S ii) Pe sonal achie emen s: Messages ha
speci y o label he posi i e con ibu ions o he indi idu-
als’ li e, such as con ibu ion o he skills, goals, and
mo als o indi iduals o hei li e and cu en and u u e
ca ee de elopmen s.
S iii) Rela ional achie emen s: Messages ha
explici ly exp ess he achie emen s o suppo i e and
solid ela ionships, including communi y, na ional, and
in e na ional le el ela ions, as well as in e nal and ex e -
nal ela ions o he ins i u ion.
S ix) P o essional achie emen s: Messages ha
communica e he p o essional success as a esul o he
success ully implemen ed wo k asks and hei con-
ibu ions o he economic, social, and en i onmen al
accomplishmen s.
The legend “Le el o Suppo (LOS)” is de ined as S = S ong sup-
po ; a majo i y o he analyzed Ins ag am ex messages we e
included in his ca ego y; M = Mode a e suppo , some o he ana-
lyzed Ins ag am ex messages con ained s a emen s in his ca ego y;
T = Ten a i e suppo , a e y small numbe o he analyzed Ins ag am
ex messages included s a emen s in his ca ego y
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How do u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es communica e on a ming ac oss socie y? An explo a ion o awa eness,…
om u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es in and a ound he ci ies
o Pennsyl ania (Philadelphia, S a e College, Pi sbu gh)
and Illinois (Chicago, Champaign) be ween Ap il and Oc o-
be 2022. The semi-s uc u ed, in-dep h in e iews, las -
ing be ween 40 and 90 min, we e conduc ed by combined
online and in-pe son mee ings and we e audio- eco ded.
The objec i e o he key in o man in e iews was wo old.
Fi s , he s udy aimed o unde s and p o essionals’ a i-
udes and alues ha shaped hei in e ac ions and beha -
io s on social media pla o ms and ob ain hei pe spec i es
on social media engagemen s. Second, he s udy aimed o
iden i y he ele an social media channel as a quali a i e
sou ce.
In e iews we e designed as open-ended ques ions o
gi e a space o gene al discussion on he mos consumed
social media channels (a he ime o he s udy) among
indi iduals in e es ed in u ban ag icul u e. All in e iewed
p o essionals exp essed hei in ol emen in social media
wi h di e en oles, such as a use o he con en p o ide ,
con en c ea o o p omo e u ban a ming o hei a ili-
a ed ins i u ions, o ollowe wi h o wi hou p o essional
iden i y.
Quali a i e sou ce-II, selec ed social media accoun s
The esul s o key in o man in e iews guided he design
o social media analyses. Social media analyses included
he explo a ion o online ex messages pos ed by o mally
o ganized ac o s om u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es in Penn-
syl ania and Illinois. The s udy ollowed he pu posi e
sampling s a egy ha included he selec ion o speci ic
Ins ag am accoun s o analysis. This s a egy allowed an
unde s anding o how di e en con en se e s communica e
u ban ag icul u e. The s udy is pa icula ly in e es ed in p e-
sen ing u ban a me s as a p o ession ied o p o-social and
p o-en i onmen al in ensions and beha io s. Da a sampling
o he quali a i e sou ce-II ollowed h ee main s eps.
Da a and esea ch design
This esea ch aims o unde s and he use o social media
by u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es in Pennsyl ania and Illinois.
S udied wo s a es ha e ib an u ban and pe i-u ban ag i-
cul u e si es wi h comme cial and non-comme cial ini ia-
i es and p o ide an app op ia e s uc u e o unde s anding
he pe spec i es o p o essionals in ol ed in p omo ing
ag icul u e ia online communica ion ools.
This s udy in eg a ed da a om wo quali a i e sou ces:
quali a i e sou ce-I (key in o man in e iews wi h p o es-
sionals om u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es), and quali a i e
sou ce-II (selec ed social media accoun s) o in es iga e he
messages led by u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es. Figu e 2 illus-
a es he use o wo quali a i e sou ces by di ision o he
communica ion in e ac ions by ini ia ed ac o s.
As shown in Fig. 2, online communica ion in e ac ions
wi hin u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es a e p ima ily ini ia ed
by wo ypes o ac o s: o mal and in o mal. Fo mal ac o s
include school-based and communi y-based u ban ag icul-
u e ini ia i es, while in o mal ac o s consis o pe sonal
social media accoun s. This ocus on o mal ac o s aims
o add ess he g owing p essu e on ins i u ions o espond
o he demand o e icien ag icul u al and a ming ca ee
knowledge- ans e o you h in he digi al age. The s udied
o mal ac o s a e ca ego ized in o wo g oups: (i) school-
based communica ion ini ia i es, which encompass u ban
ag icul u e si es ope a ed by uni e si ies and high schools,
and (ii) communi y-based communica ion ini ia i es, which
include u ban ag icul u e si es suppo ed and ope a ed by
go e nmen agencies, ag icul u al ex ension ne wo ks,
NGOs, and communi y ga dens.
Quali a i e sou ce-I, key in o man in e iews
Key in o man in e iews (N = 28; 15 om Pennsyl ania,
and 13 om Illinois) we e conduc ed wi h p o essionals
Fig. 2 Da a and esea ch design: illus a ion o used quali a i e sou ces
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İ. Unay-Gailha d e al.
I p omo es local a me s by enabling hem o sell di ec ly
o consume s in he ci y, os e s ela ionships be ween p o-
duce s and consume s, and encou ages communi y engage-
men . Two o hese accoun s a e wo king wi h social media
s a egis s—ei he as in e ns o s a — o c ea e and manage
online con en . The o he wo a e de eloping and e alua ing
pos s wi h exis ing employees who do no ha e p o essional
backg ounds in media communica ion.
In o al, a lis o 1100 pos s was analyzed. Ins ag am
accoun s pos ed egula ly on hei en i onmen al, social,
and poli ical, economic conce ns su ounding u ban ag icul-
u e we e s udied. In all accoun s, he numbe o pos s was
highe du ing he sp ing and summe seasons. Pos s ied o
u ban ag icul u e had a as spec um o con en s such as
a ming p ac ices (e.g., p oduc ion and ma ke ing ac i i-
ies), sus ainable social dinne s, ood pan y o ganiza ions,
CSA announcemen s, culina y a e en s, mee ings o book
clubs, alks wi h u ban a me s, che s, w i e s, jou nalis s,
musicians, isual a is s, summe school camps, onsi e and
o si e wo kshops, ips o u ban a ms, and en ep eneu -
ship wo kshops.
Da a analyses
This s udy used quali a i e hema ic analyses o iden i y,
assess, and epo hemes using key in o man in e iews
and selec ed ou Ins ag am accoun s.
Fo he quali a i e sou ce-I (key in o man in e iews),
we in es iga ed he li ed expe iences, ocusing on p o es-
sionals’ online u ban ag icul u e dialogue in ol emen . The
desc ip i e coding app oach was used o iden i y he main
hemes. De ined hemes enable us o cap u e he engage-
men and managemen dimensions o online u ban ag i-
cul u e dialogue. The in es iga ion mainly ocused on how
use s led communica ion and made u ban ag icul u e mo e-
men messages accessible o iewe s.
Rega ding quali a i e sou ce-II (selec ed ou Ins ag am
accoun s), we s a ou analysis by e-examining co espond-
ing in o man in e iew(s) conduc ed wi h p o essionals
om he selec ed ou u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es. This e-
examina ion allows us o ha e accoun -speci ic insigh om
he use ’s pe spec i e, such as use s’ opinions, engagemen ,
managemen beha io s, and communica ion s a egies. The
e-examina ion o he co esponding in e iew p o ided
inside knowledge and was used as an analy ical basis. This
basis helps o explo e online ex messages by conside -
ing he o mal iden i y o he au ho i y, he con en (e.g.,
ac uali y in he pho os and images) in which he messages
we e p oduced, and he way u ban ag icul u e ac i i ies and
u ban a me s we e p esen ed o he iewe s.
Fi s , we de eloped an in en o y o social media chan-
nels managed by o mal ac o s om u ban ag icul u e
ini ia i es. The lis o online channels was d awn om a
e iew o websi es and social media accoun s. Following
key in o man in e iews and ou in en o y, we iden i ied
Ins ag am as a signi ican channel o ou analysis. Besides
web pages, u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es we e ini ially ac i e
on Ins ag am, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. The popu-
la i y o Ins ag am among young gene a ions and he isu-
ally ich na u e o ag icul u e and a ming- ela ed subjec s
(McGinnis e al. 2020) a e assumed o os e he accessibil-
i y o online ex messages.
Second, he lis o u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es included
in he key in o man in e iews has been app oached o
selec ing he a ge Ins ag am accoun s o analysis. This
app oach p o ides a de ailed commen a y on he use s’
exp essed a i udes and beha io s and en iches he analyses
by knowing he inside iew on he communica ion s a e-
gies o he s udied accoun s. The s udy chooses wo Ins-
ag am accoun s om each s a e by he cha ac e is ics o
communica ion specializa ion (accoun managed by p o es-
sional communica ion s a egis s as one o he main wo k
asks s. accoun s managed by he s a o leade as a beside
job ask) and by he ini ia ed o mal ac o (accoun man-
ages by a communi y-based ac o s. school-based ac o ).
Following ha , he a ge accoun s we e inalized wi h wo
eligibili y c i e ia: i) ac i e accoun s ha pos a minimum
o one pe mon h and iii) accoun s wi h mo e han 400
ollowe s.
Thi d, we iden i ied he s udy pe iod by examining Ins-
ag am pos s om Janua y 2022 o Janua y 2024. Ra he
han concen a ing on majo e en s, he analysis examines
he dynamics o social media use o e a h ee-yea pe iod.
Because o he la ge olume o pos s each yea , he s udy
a oids iden i ying a sample om a mo e ex ended ime
ame. The analyses conside ed he w i en messages as ex
messages in he pos ed images and sho ideos. Accoun s
ha eside wi hin a public domain a e accessible eely.
P o iles o selec ed u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es
Quali a i e sou ce-II consis s o ou Ins ag am accoun s
(Fig. 2) wi h a ied numbe s o ollowe s (max ~ 49000 o
min ~ 600). Accoun I (uni e si y a m, PA) and Accoun
II (high school a m, IL) se e as ag icul u al p oduc ion
and ma ke ing si es, as well as spaces o social in e ac ion,
educa ional de elopmen , and communi y in ol emen .
Accoun III (communi y ga den, PA) ope a es as an ag icul-
u al p oduc ion and educa ional si e, o e ing p og ams ha
p omo e communi y cohesion, en ep eneu ship, nu i ion,
and well-being. Accoun IV ( a me s ma ke , IL), ini ia ed
by che s, is d i en by social and en i onmen al objec i es.
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How do u ban ag icul u e ini ia i es communica e on a ming ac oss socie y? An explo a ion o awa eness,…
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USA: In o ming Social Equi y in U ban Ag icul u e Ac ion
ha in es iga es he comme cial iabili y o u ban a ms
in 13 U.S. ci ies. F om he expe ience o comme cial-scale
u ban a ms, he au ho s highligh he impo ance o inc eas-
ing awa eness and unde s anding o he esou ces a ailable
o economically iable u ban a ms.
To e ec i ely add ess he need o in o ma ion, we asse
ha messages showcasing he bene i s o u ban ag icul-
u e o economic de elopmen , alongside i s con ibu ions
o social and en i onmen al well-being, will enhance he
agmen ed na a i e su ounding sel -su icien economic
ini ia i es on social media. These messages could be e
ep esen a ailable esou ces such as Uni e si y Ex ension
esou ces ega ding pe sonnel and p og ams, awa eness on
expended u ban ag icul u e ope a ions, upda ed egula o y
in o ma ion in u ban planning, unds o implemen ecologi-
cal p ac ices, and he la es in o ma ion on u ban a ming
policies.
As a concluding ema k, we emphasize he limi a ions
o ou s udy. This esea ch elies on p ede ined analy ical
amewo ks, whe e es ablished heo ies in o m he cod-
ing o quali a i e analyses. Ou app oach allows da a con-
nec ion ha enhances unde s anding wi h he explana o y
powe o used heo ies. Al hough we delibe a ely imple-
men ed se e al s eps in he coding p ocess, we ecognize
ha di e en coding me hods could p o ide new oppo uni-
ies o analy ic syn heses.
This s udy explo es he dialogues gene a ed by u ban
ag icul u e ini ia i es h ough quali a i e esea ch, u iliz-
ing da a om Ins ag am and in e iews wi h p o essionals
in he ield. I p esen s oppo uni ies o u u e explo a ion,
pa icula ly ega ding online dialogue engagemen . By
examining he con e sa ions ha os e engagemen among
ollowe s, we can in es iga e he in o ma ion needs o indi-
iduals in e es ed in a ming and he impac o social media
on ca ee aspi a ions. This can be cap u ed by lis ening o
he ca ee s o ies o beginning u ban a me s in u ban and
pe i-u ban a eas and by analyzing online dialogue engage-
men quali a i ely and quan i a i ely.
Acknowledgemen s We exp ess since e g a i ude o all he in e iew-
ees o hei ime and o sha ing hei knowledge h ough ou in e -
iews. Wi hou hei con ibu ion, his s udy would ha e no been pos-
sible. Funding was ecei ed o his s udy om he Eu opean Union’s
Ho izon 2020 esea ch and inno a ion p og am unde he Ma ie
Skłodowska-Cu ie Global Fellowship g an ag eemen No [895185].
P ojec i le: YOUNG FARMERS: Wha can digi al communica ions
do o gene a ional enewal in a ming? The da a collec ion o his
s udy was ca ied ou by he i s au ho (IUG) du ing he esea ch s ay
a he Pennsyl ania S a e Uni e si y (PSU), be ween Ap il–June 2022,
and a he Uni e si y o Chicago (UC), be ween July–Oc obe 2022.
The in e iew p o ocol was e iewed by he Ins i u ional Re iew
Boa d o he PSU o esea ching human subjec s. The pa icipan s
p o ided hei consen o pa icipa e in his s udy.
Funding Open Access unding enabled and o ganized by P ojek
DEAL.
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