Cultural preservation and economic inclusion in small-scale food production: the case of Latino Farms in Ohio

Abstract Small-scale food production is declining worldwide, primarily due to the corporatization of food systems. The lack of economic inclusion, the difficulty in preserving culture, and low social integration are some of the primary barriers this economic activity faces. Based on grounded theory and through in-depth interviews with small-scale farmers and other community stakeholders, these components are analyzed in case studies of immigrant Latin American-owned farms and markets in Ohio, USA. This study analyzes SFSC in Ohio Farms as alternatives to preserve food culture as heritage and combat social inequities. The primary findings show that family traditions and cropping methods are closely related and both are important factors for farmers to preserve their cultural heritage. The common typology of SFSC in the analyzed cases is the farmers’ market type. By prioritizing cultural preservation, farmers sacrifice the use of technology, crop fashionable or market-demand food, and therefore forego potential economic benefits. This prioritization creates restrictions to economic inclusion that escalate when coupled with the lack of institutional support.