Fred Kirschenmann, G. W. Stevenson, Frederick Buttel, Thomas A. Lyson, and Mike Duffy
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262122993
- eISBN:
- 9780262278751
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262122993.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
This chapter focuses on the changing agricultural structure threatening the existence of midsize farms in the United States, and explores the advantages of midsize farms, which include innovation and ...
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This chapter focuses on the changing agricultural structure threatening the existence of midsize farms in the United States, and explores the advantages of midsize farms, which include innovation and flexibility in producing differentiated products, which are high on demand. It also discusses the importance of connecting farmers with the market without the use of direct marketing techniques, and of developing competitive alternatives that can be economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable for them. The impact of the possible disappearance of midsize farms from the rural communities’ employment rate, tax base, and agricultural viability are also analyzed.Less
This chapter focuses on the changing agricultural structure threatening the existence of midsize farms in the United States, and explores the advantages of midsize farms, which include innovation and flexibility in producing differentiated products, which are high on demand. It also discusses the importance of connecting farmers with the market without the use of direct marketing techniques, and of developing competitive alternatives that can be economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable for them. The impact of the possible disappearance of midsize farms from the rural communities’ employment rate, tax base, and agricultural viability are also analyzed.
