Abstract
On one hand, food system analysts have been concerned about many topics: the rising age of farm operators, declining farm numbers, lack of adoption of practices and systems supporting greater ecological sustainability, and interest in increased food production for local markets. On the other hand, many energetic and enthusiastic people express interest in farming and producing more community-based food. Many of these people also claim values related to sustainability. Despite prospective and new farmers’ strong interest and enthusiasm, most face numerous challenges in their start-up phase and many do not continue, even those showing considerable promise. In this paper we focus on the results from in-depth interviews with current and former start-up farmers in the Northeastern U.S. We illuminate four sets of factors related to “success” in farm start-ups: social context, personal characteristics, business characteristics, and luck. We then make three recommendations for the consideration of policy-makers, farm start-up advisors, and beginning farmers: advising and mentoring, conceiving of farms as parts of a larger food system, and focus on playing to strengths.
Highlights
Challenges to EntryThe complex and changing contexts for contemporary agriculture greatly affect the prospects for success in entering farming in the U.S In general, Volume 1, Issue 1 / August 2010mainstream farming has been becoming less labor intensive and more capital intensive (Cochrane, 1993, 2000)
In this paper we focus on the results from in-depth interviews with current and former startup farmers in the Northeastern U.S We illuminate four sets of factors related to “success” in farm start-ups: social context, personal characteristics, business characteristics, and luck
Farm enterprise size has been increasing and contemporary farm numbers are less than one-third of those in the 1920s
Summary
Challenges to EntryThe complex and changing contexts for contemporary agriculture greatly affect the prospects for success in entering farming in the U.S In general, Volume 1, Issue 1 / August 2010mainstream farming has been becoming less labor intensive and more capital intensive (Cochrane, 1993, 2000). Farm enterprise size has been increasing and contemporary farm numbers are less than one-third of those in the 1920s (see the chapter on “Farm Numbers and Land in Farms” in National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2009). Larger farms tend to have lower production costs due to labor-efficient technologies and volume buying (MacDonald, et al, 2006), as well as better access to and higher prices in output markets (Martinson & Campbell, 1980). Many of the foregoing factors raise the costs of farm start-up and create other barriers that can make farm entry challenging. Those who succeed in farm start-ups need to find ways of navigating these challenges and finding niches where their enterprises can take root
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