Author ORCID Identifier
Date Available
4-25-2019
Year of Publication
2019
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Community & Leadership Development
College
Agriculture, Food and Environment
Department/School/Program
Community and Leadership Development
Advisor
Dr. Karen Rignall
Abstract
This thesis explores agricultural livelihoods in Harlan County with two case studies in order to challenge dominant narratives about Eastern Kentucky. Harlan County, and Appalachia more broadly, is often written about in terms of its relationship to extractive industries. Absentee landownership in Appalachia has been well documented, especially in the case of coal counties. However, the relationship between extraction and agricultural livelihoods in Appalachia warrants more attention. The story of agricultural livelihoods in the region is often pushed to the periphery much like the practices of “hillside” farming. While geography makes much of the land unsuitable for farming in Harlan County, a small number of farmers have seemingly persisted through time. Preliminary findings suggest an intricate relationship between coal production, land access, and livelihood diversification through agriculture.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2019.096
Recommended Citation
Kinney, Heather, "AGRICULTURAL LIVELIHOODS IN HARLAN COUNTY: A CASE STUDY APPROACH OF TWO FARMS" (2019). Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development. 46.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cld_etds/46
