Farm Structural Changes In Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties, 1978-87

Fred K. Hines and Douglas A. Rhoades

No 278736, Staff Reports from United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service

Abstract: The long-term national trend of decline in farm numbers and increase in average farm size continued in 1978-87, with farm numbers declining by 7.6 percent and average farm size increasing by 2.9 percent. While trends in nonmetro areas followed national trends of fewer and larger farms, they were in contrast to trends in metro counties where the number of farms fell by only 4.2 percent and the average farm size declined by 4.1 percent. Although regional differences in farm structure complicate metrononmetro comparisons, the greater availability of off-farm employment in metro areas and in areas with some metro dominance helps explain the smaller decline in metro farm numbers. Differences in farm structural changes among regions resulted from regional differences in the competitive advantages in the production of various farm commodities as well as the degree of regional urbanization and availability of nonfarm jobs. Changes in farm numbers and average farm size ranged from a growth in the number of farms (9.5 percent) and a reduction in farm size (12.2 percent) in the West to a decrease in farm numbers (12.8 percent) with an increase in size (9.2 percent) in the Midwest. Farm location relative to growing, dominant metro areas will become even more important in the future to overall farm viability and farm structure.

Keywords: Agricultural and Food Policy; Community/Rural/Urban Development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 23
Date: 1994-06
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:uerssr:278736

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.278736

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