Performing Department
Agricultural Economics & Rural
Non Technical Summary
U.S. farms that comprise an "agriculture of the middle" (AOTM) have gained recognition for theirimportant contributions to agricultural economies, rural communities and land stewardship. Butdespite efforts to support these mid-sized farms, their numbers continue to decline. With theincreasing average age of farmers, rising land prices, and formidable barriers to farm entry, thechallenge of transferring farms and farmland to a new generation of farmers has become morepressing. Our long-term goal is to develop a richer understanding of the relationship betweenattributes and circumstances of AOTM farms and their unique succession and transfer challenges inorder to improve succession and transfer outcomes, increase entry into this sector and decrease theirrate of decline. Supported by our research advisory group, our transdisciplinary research team willconduct mixed-methods research using national secondary data sets and primary data collected inPennsylvania, Minnesota and Washington to address four objectives:1. Identify characteristics of mid-size, and particularly AOTM farms, and any relationships betweenthese characteristics and farms' exit or persistence;2. Develop an in-depth understanding of succession and transfer challenges faced by AOTM farmsand the outcomes for operators, operations, and farmland;3. Identify, investigate and profile promising and successful AOTM farm succession and transferpathways;4. Recommend strategies for future research, programs and policies to address identified challengesand advance solutions.This project addresses Program Area Priority A1601 by increasing knowledge about obstacles andopportunities associated with the succession and transfer of AOTM farms from older to new orbeginning farmers.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
65%
Applied
35%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
This multidisciplinary study has the long-term goal of developing a richer understanding of the relationship between attributes and circumstances of "Agricutlure of the Middle" (AOTM) farms and their unique succession and transfer challenges in order to improve succession and transfer outcomes, increase entry into this sector and decrease such farms' rate of decline. Using mixed-methods research approaches that draw on national secondary data sets and primary data collection conducted in the states of Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Washington, the study will address four objectives:1. Identify the characteristics of mid-size, and particularly AOTM farms, and any relationships between these characteristics and farms' exit or persistence;2. Develop an in-depth understanding of succession and transfer challenges faced by AOTM farms and the outcomes for operators, operations, and farmland;3. Identify, investigate and profile promising and successful AOTM farm succession and transfer pathways;4. Recommend strategies for future research, programs and policies to address identified challengesand advance solutions.
Project Methods
Objective 1: Identify characteristics of midsize, and particularly AOTM farms, and any relationships between these characteristics and farms' exit or persistence. Methods include: 1) Collaborate with USDA ERS/NASS to obtain access to restricted ERS and NASS data and begin analyses; 2) Develop hypotheses and construct indices from regional-level data, in consultation with Project Team and Research Advisory Group; 3) Draft report of preliminary model results, while awaiting their review by ERS/NASS and in anticipation of their release; 4) Refine independent variables and develop further hypotheses to test, through ongoing consultations with Project Team and Research Advisory Group; 5) Draw on the integrated secondary data set and developing analyses to inform development of other field-based project research activities below.Objective 2: Develop an in-depth understanding of succession and transfer challenges faced by AOTM farms and the outcomes for operators, operations, and farmland. Methods include: 1) Identify and interview stakeholders engaged with AOTM and farm succession and transfer issues in PA, MN and WA; 2) Build lists of AOTM farms currently or recently engaged with succession and transfer in PA, MN and WA, striving to include substantial subsets of farms engaged with VBSCs and moderate-scale commodity farms producing a range of different crops in each state; 3) Design farmer sampling strategy and interview protocols, informed by Research AdvisoryGroup and Project Team, and as allowed, findings from Obj. 1; 4) Conduct interviews with 20 exiting or recently exited AOTM farm operators in each state, focusing on consequences for farmland, infrastructure, business assets, and operator(s), alongwith their succession/transfer challenges and successes; 5) Draw on data and analyses to inform Objs. 1, 3 and 4.Objective 3: Identify, investigate and profile promising and successful AOTM farm succession and transfer pathways. Methods include: 1) Query and analyze Obj. 2 data to develop a preliminary typology of successful succession and transfer pathways of AOTM farms; 2) Conduct follow-up interviews with selected farmers and stakeholders to gain additional insight on conditions, features and resources facilitating successful farm succession or transfer; 3) Refine typology and characterize key succession and transfer pathways in each state, distilling common and distinct elements for AOTM farms; 4) Develop comparative analytical case studies of AOTM farms organized by the pathways framework.Objective 4: Recommend strategies for future research, programs and policies to address identified challenges and advance solutions. Methods include: 1) Engage expertise and ideas of Research Advisory Group through bi-annual meetings to discuss research options, decisions and results from Obj. 1, 2, and 3 and opportunities for integration; 2) Inventory applicable programs and policies; 3) Develop the white paper on recommended strategies.