Southern Minnesota farmers on the drivers and impacts of increased farm size

Keywords: agricultural consolidation, farming, Minnesota
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Sunday
Session Start / End Time: 2/27/2022 08:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/27/2022 09:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 14

Abstract

Despite the clear trend that U.S. farm size is increasing and the number of farmers is decreasing, among scholars there is not consensus on why this is happening and to what effects. What do farmers think, and how does this compare to scholars’ views? Our research elicited personal stories and perspectives on farm consolidation through semi-structured, on-farm interviews with 15 conventional farming families in southern Minnesota. Farmer explanations for farm enlargement and farm loss mirror that of scholars (technological drivers, government farm programs, economies of size, and specialization, among others) but with more emphasis on decreased profit margins per acre or animal and the role of lenders. Farmers recognize that increased farm size brings both opportunities and challenges, with particularly negative impacts on rural agricultural community well-being.