A Long-Term Analysis of Changes in Farm Size and Financial Performance

Abstract

This paper examined the changing structure of farms in Kansas. Specifically, changes in farm size, farm type, financial performance, and economies of size were examined using five-year moving averages from 1973 to 2007. Convergence analysis was used to determine whether small farms are catching up to larger farms or whether the difference in performance between these two groups of farms was widening. Results suggested that the gaps between the small farms and large farms have widened.