Farming Dependent Counties And The Financial Well Being Of Farm Operator Households

Author : Levon T. Esters
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 76 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (512 download)

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Download or read book An Economic, Demographic, and Farm Structural Profile Analysis of Differences in Farm Dependent and Non-farm Dependent Counties of North Carolina written by Levon T. Esters and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past 50 years, changes in agricultural structure led to an increase in average farm size and a corresponding decrease in the number of farms. Technological developments that favored large farms and innovations in management, e.g. mechanization, specialization, routinization, and standardization, made it possible for fewer farmers to feed more people better, thus enabling farmers and other rural people to work in new factories that were springing up in nearby cities. The same technologies that "pulled" rural people toward the cities "pushed" them off the farms and out of rural communities. As a result, many of these rural communities have experienced decreased economic activity, employment, and income generation rate. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the relationship between he [sic] structure of agriculture and the economic, demographic, and farm structural characteristics of farming dependent counties in North Carolina, and to use insights derived from this analysis to make recommendations to improve the quality of life in these counties. Data for this study was taken from the Census of Agriculture (1987,1992, & 1997), Statistical Abstract of the United States (1987, 1992, & 1997), County and City Data Book (1987, 1992, & 1997), and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (1987-1997). The study will utilize the logit model to analyze the criterion variable, a county's level of dependency on farming and the probability that the county would fit into one of two groups; moderately high dependent or low dependent on farming. Moderately high dependent is defined as a county that receives ten-percent or more of its total earnings from farming; a low farming dependent county receives less than ten percent of its total earnings from farming. Variables examined in the model included: percent of earnings from manufacturing, household income of over $50,000, total number of persons, percent of farms 50 acres or less, and percent of farms 500 acres or more. The following three variables were statistically significant; percentage of households with earnings of $50,000 or more, total number of people in a county, and the percentage of farm operators farming 50 acres or less. These variables would determine the probability of a county being in the moderately high dependency group or the low dependency group. This logit model can assist policymakers to predict the dependency status of a county; thus providing useful information for the policy making process. Past research suggests that policies aimed at protecting farmers are key to the survival of many rural areas. In order to improve opportunities for farm operators, their families and communities, programs and policies are needed that will provide opportunities for farmers to supplement their income and encourage the adoption of improved technology that will increase the productivity of small farms and simulate [sic] business activity in rural communities.