Grass based agroecologic dairying to revitalize small family farms throughout student technical support: The development of a participative methodology responsible for 622 family farm projects

Economic sustainability plays an important role in shaping conditions for economic growth and social development. The importance of answering the question about the level of sustainability of family farms results from the fact that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, apart from exceptions (e.g. the Czech Republic and Slovakia), are characterized by a fragmented agrarian structure. Hence, the main goal of this article was to answer two questions: 1) whether the countries of Central and Eastern Europe differ in the level of economic sustainability of small family farms; and 2) whether the same socioeconomic factors impact similarly on the level of economic sustainability of small family farms from countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The study was based on surveys conducted in small family farms: in 2018 from Poland (672 farms) and in 2019 in four other countries (Lithuania; 999 farms, Romania; 834 farms, Serbia; 523 farms, Moldova; 530 farms). The publication includes a critical analysis of the literature, structure analysis and correlation analysis. The results show the occurrence of large differences between the economic sustainability of small family farms from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The research indicates that the larger the area of a small-scale family farm, the greater its economic sustainability. The productivity of these farms increases with their economic sustainability. The results also prove a negative relationship between the age of the farmer and the economic sustainability of their farm in all analysed countries. These trends were found in all analysed countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The results of the analyses support the conclusion that agricultural policy instruments aimed at increasing the economic sustainability of small family farms should lead to: land consolidation, a decrease in the age of farm owners through generational changes, and a decrease in employment in agriculture, which would lead to a reduction in labour input in the agricultural sector.

Download Full-text

The small family farm: can it survive ?

10.31274/rtd-180813-6584 ◽

1980 ◽

Author(s):

Mark R. Drabenstott

Keyword(s):

Family Farm ◽

Small Family

Download Full-text

Multifamily farms and America's farm structure: A new perspective on an old issue

American Journal of Alternative Agriculture ◽

10.1017/s088918930000919x ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 184-190 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jay M. Lillywhite ◽

Michael Duffy

Keyword(s):

Predictive Power ◽

Family Farm ◽

Family Farms ◽

Single Family ◽

Significant Percentage ◽

Outreach Programs ◽

Logit Regression ◽

Phone Survey ◽

Commercial Farms ◽

New Perspective

AbstractThis study examined the extent and nature of multifamily farms in Iowa. Based on a random sample phone survey conducted in 1997, it was found that over one-fourth (26%) of Iowa's farms would be classified as multifamily farms. Multifamily farms showed significant differences from their single-family farm counterparts in several areas. They tended to have younger operators and larger operations, and the operators were more likely to consider farming as their principal occupation. In addition, they had more diverse operations and generated larger farm and family incomes. The farms were further classified based on their annual sales. As expected, non-commercial farms (sales less than $50,000) had the lowest percentage of multifamily farms (21%). Smallcommercial farms with sales from $50,000 to $250,000 were 30% multifamily, while large-commercial farms were 35% multifamily. The study also addressed whether or not policy restrictions based on age and income would discriminate against farms due to the multifamily farm phenomenon. A logit regression analysis was performed to determine if a multifamily structure was significant in predicting whether or not a farm was small. The results showed that multifamily relations were not a significant predictor. A growing phenomenon in U.S. agriculture, namely the multifamily farm, was examined. A significant percentage of Iowa farms was found to be multifamily. There were many differences between multifamily and single-family farms, but these differences did not display any predictive power. More research is needed in order to understand multifamily farms, a structure that will likely continue to grow and influence U.S. agriculture and outreach programs.

Download Full-text

Family farm inheritance in Slavonia region, Croatia

Agricultural Economics (Zemědělská ekonomika) ◽

10.17221/14/2010-agricecon ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 56 (No. 11) ◽

pp. 522-531 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Đ. ŽUTINIĆ ◽

I. GRGIĆ

Keyword(s):

Social Reproduction ◽

The State ◽

Family Farm ◽

Next Generation ◽

Family Farms ◽

Traditional Pattern ◽

And Control

The aim of the study was to determine the chances of the Slavonian family farms for social reproduction in the next generation and to determine attitudes of farmers towards some aspects of family farm inheritance and the possible ways of preventing the division of land. The research was carried out on a sample of 202 family farms. The analysis showed that the chances to remain as integral production units in the next generation are realistic for only 48% of family farms. The traditional pattern of behavior is obvious with regard to inheritance and to postponing the transfer of management and control of the farm resources. The majority of the Slavonian farmers find that it would be proper if the state were to introduce special measures to regulate the integrity of the land and to offer subsidies and easements for the "entry" of the young into the agriculture.

Download Full-text

Mycobacterium capraeinfection in cattle and pigs on one family farm inCroatia: a case report

Veterinární Medicína ◽

10.17221/5586-vetmed ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 51 (No. 11) ◽

pp. 523-531 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Z. Cvetnic ◽

S. Spicic ◽

V. Katalinic-Jankovic ◽

S. Marjanovic ◽

M. Obrovac ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Lymph Nodes ◽

Skin Tests ◽

Family Farm ◽

Infected Cattle ◽

Biochemical Tests ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Small Family ◽

Mycobacterium Caprae ◽

Identical Number

An outbreak of tuberculosis among bovines and pigs caused by Mycobacterium caprae is described in this paper. After tuberculin skin tests with bovine purified protein derivates (PPD) six cattle and one sow, own by a small family farm, tested positive whilst three pigs were suspected in 2004. All animals were euthanised and checked for gross pathological lesions. Generalised lesions were found in five cattle and two sows; however one calf and two gilts had lesions that were localised in the submandibular lymph nodes. Mycobacteria were isolated from tissue samples of six cattle and four pigs. Mycobacterial isolates were identified using classical biochemical tests and molecular methods (PCR, GenoType MTBC) as M. caprae. Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Unit (MIRU) typing of isolated mycobacteria showed an identical number of repeats in 12 different loci. Results of the research confirmed the domination of M. caprae among infected cattle in Croatia; however this paper was the first to confirm a case of M. caprae in pigs. The source of the infection was not found.

Download Full-text

ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF FAMILY FARMS IN EUROPE – A LITERATURE REVIEW

Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural and Agribusiness Economists ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0014.5743 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol XXII (4) ◽

pp. 161-172

Author(s):

Agnieszka Poczta-Wajda

Keyword(s):

Literature Review ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Contemporary Literature ◽

Economic Viability ◽

Agricultural Activity ◽

Family Farm ◽

Family Farms ◽

Dominant Form ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Capital Costs

As family farms are the dominant form of agricultural activity in Europe, their economic viability is a prerequisite for the sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas. The aim of this research is to review the latest publications on the economic viability of family farms in Europe. Based on a systematic literature review of studies related to European agriculture published in 2010-2020, this paper presents various concepts of family farm economic viability and assesses the methodologies used. The paper also presents the results of selected empirical research from the last 10 years on family farm economic viability in Europe, broken down into international and national comparisons. Results suggest that the most common approach to measuring economic viability is to use the opportunity cost concept of own factors of production. An important observation is also that, although most studies are based on the FADN database, the results of the analyses are sensitive to the selection of the threshold wage and own capital costs. What contemporary literature lacks is a long-term comparative analysis for all EU countries, as well as studies of drivers of family farm economic viability.

Download Full-text

Kierunki racjonalizacji struktury rolnictwa polskiego w świetle rozwiązań stosowanych w Europie Zachodniej

Przegląd Politologiczny ◽

10.14746/pp.2010.15.3.7 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 89-104

Author(s):

Jerzy BABIAK

Keyword(s):

Structural Transformation ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Agricultural System ◽

Family Farm ◽

Family Farms ◽

Spontaneous Transformation ◽

Community Law ◽

The Family ◽

Principal Task ◽

Agrarian Structure

Agriculture is a peculiar sector of the economy that requires support from the state. Its spontaneous transformation is not effective enough, therefore a number of mechanisms are applied to stimulate advantageous structural transformation both at EU and national levels. The agricultural system of West European states is based on the family farm. Although Community law does not define a family farm, different systems provide various measures applied in order to protect family farms, e.g. by means of controlling agricultural land trade. The paper presents the legal and institutional solutions applied in this respect in France, Germany and Denmark. These states have not been randomly selected, as they are the main competitors for Polish agriculture in the Community market, and they have succeeded in establishing an agrarian structure. Against the background of their experience, Polish legal solutions are presented and assessed. The responsibilities of the Agricultural Property Agency are presented in detail; its principal task apart from the management of State Treasury property is to shape agrarian structure.

Download Full-text