Strengthening Community Connections in the Regenerative Poultry Value Chain

View the project final report

Commodities

• Agronomic: grass (misc. perennial)
• Nuts: hazelnuts
• Animals: poultry
• Animal Products: meat

Practices

• Animal Production: free-range, grazing - rotational, meat processing
• Crop Production: silvopasture
• Education and Training: farmer to farmer, participatory research
• Sustainable Communities: community development, community planning, ethnic differences/cultural and demographic change, public policy, social networks, values-based supply chains

Strengthening Community Connections in the Regenerative Poultry Value Chain

This project aimed to promote a more equitable supply chain in regenerative poultry, working with a diverse group of Latino and white farmers and processing plant workers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. In partnership with the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance (RAA), a non-profit organization, we used a participatory action research (PAR) approach to identify challenges faced by farmers and workers organizing this new value chain. We explored the use of affinity groups and farmer learning circles to promote structures of democratic governance and peer-to-peer learning.

Our research questions included: (1) How do regenerative poultry farmers and processing plant workers currently organize their supply chain, and what are the main challenges they face? (2) What are the benefits and limitations of using affinity groups and farmer-to-farmer learning circles to promote supply chain justice? (3) What current governmental and non-governmental policies and programs exist to support regenerative poultry, particularly for Latino farmers and workers, and what recommendations can we make to better these supports?

The project team, consisting of myself (Dr. Ana Fochesatto), my advisor (Dr. Adena Rissma), and an undergraduate research assistant (Annabelle Jurena), worked closely with the RAA to help implement the PAR activities. Twelve farmer-to-farmer learning circles were organized across the project period (September 2023–November 2025) to increase relationship-building and knowledge-sharing among participants, including current and aspiring producers, and processing plant workers. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand the impact of these activities and the challenges faced by participants as they engaged in supply chain development. Over the full project, 163 stakeholders were engaged, including farmers, processing plant workers, RAA staff, aspiring farmers, and community members who participated in activities or signed up for updates and received final project products.

Researchers created a database of 51 current policies and programs that can support this effort (i.e., cost-share programs, grants, and farmer services). Through community-based discussions, farmers collaboratively developed strategies for building more equitable supply chains. Our team synthesized results and presented them to participants throughout the project so they could use the findings to make strategic decisions. An internal community report was produced and shared with all active stakeholders to support ongoing learning and organizational development within the value chain. A learning circle guide was produced in English and Spanish to share implementation strategies with other organizations and farmer networks. Research findings were also presented at the Regenerative Poultry Convergence in 2024, the American Anthropological Association in 2024, and throughout 2025 in monthly farmer meetings.

We evaluated our impact by tracking the number of attendees at affinity group meetings and learning circles (12 learning circles with 79 unique attendees; monthly farmer meetings with 29 unique attendees). Feedback was collected through post-event surveys (96% reported being "very satisfied"), and evaluation questions in interviews and focus groups assessed the impact of project activities on relationship building, knowledge of regenerative agriculture practices and available resources, and participants' sense of ownership and control over the supply chain. This project also directly supported my (Dr. Fochesatto) successful completion of my PhD (May 2025) and led to a USDA NIFA Postdoctoral Fellowship to continue participatory action research on small-scale meat processing.

This project aimed to better understand and create a more equitable supply chain for regenerative poultry in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.  Through the proposed activities, farmers and workers learned about structures of shared governance and peer-to-peer learning, including how to run farmer learning circles and affinity groups. We provided opportunities for farmers, workers, and community members to learn from each other about the benefits of regenerative poultry practices and how to implement these on their farms. Participants also learned about programs and policies that can support farms and supply chain development.

The action outcomes from the project activities included changes on the farms and across the supply chain. Farmers implemented regenerative poultry practices, leading to improved soil health, quality of life, and profitability. Farmers shared their regenerative poultry best practices with others, leading to wider adoption. Farmers and workers participated in the development of shared governance structures that fostered equity across the supply chain. Farmers and workers made use of the research gathered about policies and programs relevant to regenerative poultry in each state and contributed recommendations for needed changes.

To evaluate project outcomes, we tracked the number of attendees at learning circles and affinity group meetings, and collected post-event surveys. In the interviews and focus groups, we explored the impact of the learning circles and affinity groups and asked questions to evaluate the implementation and success of this project.