Abstract

The central fieldwork site for this research was a farm collective called La Grange, located outside of Montreal in the municipality of Laval, Quebec. This research aims to explore the dynamics of collective organization and the factors involved in the construction of shared political and physical space as they apply to this particular farm project and the changes it has undergone over the course of the three farming seasons during which participant observation was conducted. The theoretical framework for this research follows a trajectory that is in the tradition of the anthropology of social movements, with the concept of prefigurative politics providing a theoretical backdrop for discussions of the practices and political orientations relevant to La Grange and its participants. Prefiguration, and in particular its capacity to translate political theory and ideology into action, provides rich soil for discussions of political intentionality, collective organizing and power dynamics, DIY (Do It Yourself) ethos, anarchist theory, organic farming practices and food justice issues.