Farm entry and persistence: Three pathways into alternative agriculture in southern Ohio

Abstract

This paper investigates the role the food movement has played in catalyzing the entrance of new farmers into alternative agriculture. I analyze 30 interviews with farmers who participate in Alternative Food Networks in southern Ohio to understand what kinds of strategies and support were important for facilitating their entrance into alternative agriculture. I develop a typology of three distinct pathways into alternative agriculture, based on the values and goals that motivated famers' decision to participate in alternative agriculture, their farming experience and skills, professional networks and socialization, land access, and persistence strategies. I show how farmers' pathways shape the kinds of enterprises they establish and their strategies for getting started and persisting in alternative agriculture. The farmers’ strategies include a reliance on non-farm income and wealth and non-production revenue strategies for some types of farmers, while other types of farmers are able to make it by farming full-time. The study identifies a new pathway into alternative agriculture: Returning farmers come from farm families, but left agriculture to pursue higher education or a non-farm career and then re-entered agriculture later in life through Alternative Food Networks.