Exploring Food, Time and Meaningful Work: New Publication by Janita Van Dyk

We are delighted to share a new publication by Janita Van Dyk, Postdoctoral Research Associate at Durham University.

Her article, “Hustle Horticulture: Time, Plant-Discipline, and Meaningful Work,” has just been published in Anthropology News, the official news platform of the American Anthropological Association.

In this incisive contribution, Van Dyk explores how horticultural labour reshapes experiences of time, discipline, and meaningful work. Focusing on food practices and cultivation, the article examines how plant life—and the rhythms it demands—challenges dominant narratives of productivity and “hustle,” inviting a rethinking of value, care, and temporality in contemporary economies.

At Durham, Van Dyk’s research forms part of the wider intellectual framework of the RELISH project, led by Rosi Song (Hispanic Studies). RELISH investigates food, ethics, sustainability, and cultural production, and Van Dyk’s work contributes a vital anthropological perspective on labour, food systems, and lived temporalities. Her research examines the temporalities of food practices and work in Northern Italy across educational, professional, and agricultural contexts.

Van Dyk recently completed her PhD in anthropology at the University of Toronto and serves on the editorial collective of Gastronomica.

We warmly congratulate Janita on this important publication and encourage colleagues and students to read and share the piece.

🔗 Read the article:

https://www.anthropology-news.org/articles/hustle-horticulture-time-plant-discipline-and-meaningful-work/