Crop mob

The term crop mob was coined in or before 2008 by volunteer farmhands working on a biofarm in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. The first so-called crop mob took place in October 2008 with 19 volunteers.{{Cite web |date=2010-03-10 |title='Crop Mob' volunteers help small farms in North Carolina |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-mar-10-la-na-crop-mob10-2010mar10-story.html |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2010-03-02 |title=Are you a farmer at heart? Start a ‘Crop Mob’ |url=https://www.resilience.org/stories/2010-03-02/are-you-farmer-heart-start-crop-mob/ |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=Resilience |language=en-US}} A website and social media were set up.{{Cite web |title=Crop Mob - Grow Naturally, Live Natural |url=https://cropmob.org/ |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=Crop Mob |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Crop Mob {{!}} Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/132052160611/ |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=www.facebook.com |language=en}} Before 2010, 15 crop mobs were organized. The idea took off and crop mobs were organized in at least 70 other places.{{Cite web |last=Nosowitz |first=Dan |date=2016-12-07 |title=What Is A Crop Mob, And Should You Join One? |url=https://modernfarmer.com/2016/12/crop-mob-join-one/ |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=Modern Farmer |language=en-US}}

• Atlanta, GA{{Cite web |title=Crop Mob - Atlanta |url=https://www.facebook.com/CropMobAtlanta/ |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=www.facebook.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Bryan |first=Lorayne |date=2013-02-21 |title=Many Hands Make Light Work |url=https://www.ediblecommunities.com/atlanta/stories/many-hands-make-light-work/ |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=Edible Atlanta |language=en-US}}
• Pennsylvania, organized by the Sustainability Institute at Penn State University{{Cite web |title=State College Crop Mobs {{!}} Cooperative Organization that Connects Community Members and Students with Local Farmers |url=https://sites.psu.edu/cropmobs/ |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=sites.psu.edu}}
• Vermont, organized by the Center for Sustainable Agriculture of the University of Vermont{{Cite web |title=Green Mountain Crop Mob |url=http://greenmountaincropmob.weebly.com/ |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=Green Mountain Crop Mob}}
• Michigan, organized by the Michigan Young Farmer Coalition{{Cite web |date=2010-09-22 |title=crop mob |url=http://michiganyoungfarmercoalition.org/projects/cropmob/ |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=Michigan Young Farmer Coalition |language=en-US}}

Crop Mob has been described as "a modern, Internet-connected take on the agrarian culture that faded with the industrialization of farming. In a tough market, crop mobs can give small farms a shot in the arm and connect them to potential customers."[http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local_state/story/302750.html News & Observer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128090423/http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local_state/story/302750.html |date=2010-01-28 }}, News & Observer article, 25 Jan 2010.

The number of small farms, those fewer than {{convert|10|acre|m2}}, in the Research Triangle Park area grew 14 percent from 2002 to 2007, from about 4,400 to 5,000, according to Roland McReynolds, executive director of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. By comparison, the total number of farms of all sizes statewide dropped two percent during the same period, McReynolds says.[https://archive.today/20130126071550/http://listings.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid:403979 Indyweek, 21 Oct 2009], Indyweek article on crop mob from October 2009. The help of groups of volunteers can be important for small farms.

Another guiding idea is that crop mobs help young people to learn from experienced farmers about agriculture and sustainable farming.

{{reflist}}

• [http://cropmob.org/ Link to Official Website]

Category:History of agriculture in the United States