Includes bibliographical references (pages 195-212) and index.

Introduction : visions of transformation and growth : institutional logics and social processes in the organic sector -- Breaking ground for a new agriculture : transformation and expansion during the organic sector's early years -- Stabilizing the market, dividing the field : federal regulation, field settlement, and the emergence of conflict -- The rise of big organic : market convergence and the elaboration of the expansionary vision -- The politics of organic integrity : reasserting transformative ideals from the margins -- Caught in the middle : negotiating compromise in organic co-op stores -- Institutional logics and social processes revisited : insights from the organic sector.

"Tracing the history of the organic food sector, Michael A. Haedicke charts the development of two narratives that give way to competing institutional logics. Social activists contend that organics can break up the power of big agribusiness. Alternatively, professionals who are steeped in the culture of business emphasize the potential of market growth for fostering better behemoths. Independent food store owners are left to reconcile these notions as they construct their own identities and hone their business plans"--Page [4] of cover.

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