Small Farm Businesses: A Typology of Farm, Operator, and Family Characteristics with Implications for Public Research and Extension Policy

Frederick H. Buttel and Michael E. Gertler

Journal of the Northeastern Agricultural Economics Council, 1982, vol. 11, issue 01, 10

Abstract: Data from a 1979 New York survey were analyzed to develop a systematic multivariate typology of small farmers (i.e., operators of small farm businesses) which would be useful in designing and targeting public program. Farm business size, operator's age, and off-farm employment were the most important dimensions of variation. A typology was constructed by successive dichotomization of low and moderate sales volume farms; operators 49 years of age and under, and 50 and over; and families with and without off-farm income. Means for economic and social indicators were computed for each of the resulting eight categories. Low sales volume farm families with relatively old operators and without off-farm employment were found to experience very low total family incomes. Suggestions are made regarding how public extension and research program:; may be developed and targeted with specific categories of the most needy small farmers in mind.

Keywords: Agribusiness; Agricultural and Food Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1982
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:nareaj:159797

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.159797

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