A CASE STUDY ANALYSIS OF A REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM: THE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE CONSORTIUM FOR HISTORICALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS PROGRAM

The Sustainable Agriculture Consortium for Historically Disadvantaged Farmers Program (SACH) was designed to carry out an experiment by five 1890 Land-Grant Universities in partnership with five farmer based cooperatives in five states to assess marketing fruits and vegetables to Walmart from a regional perspective. Using the Consortium as a case study, this study examined the Consortium within the framework of implementation evaluation. The data were collected using semi structured interviews and document analysis. The study answered the questions such as, what did the Consortium do, and what were some of the accomplishments of the Consortium? Consequently, farmers were able to: negotiate price points; develop a cold chain management system; properly package and store produce; and cultivate a mutually beneficial relationship with the buyer. The benefits derived from the Consortium included: providing supplemental income for the participating farmers; expansion of the existing regional food system; and promotion of good farm management practices