Sam Plouff

BA in Art & Design

The Security of Sustenance: the Resilience of Local Food Systems in a Time of Crisis

During the COVID-19 pandemic, food access has become a larger issue and localized food systems are more important than ever. Argus Farm Stop is an Ann Arbor based, year-round, farmer’s market that sells local produce and goods. The store is a new model for the future of food; it provides a year-round selling opportunity for local farmers and year-round buying for consumers. By localizing parts of our food system, we can change our relationship to food and its value to us, while helping to decrease the need for unsustainable food systems that have disproportionately negative effects on neighboring countries and the Global South. The goal is to help people be aware of the values of localized food systems early on, so they have more agency in relationship to their food, and are able to transition easier into a future with more difficult food access from climate change and other crises.