Open AccessWhat Makes a Small Farm Successful? A Review of Success Factors, Needs, and Challenges
Author(s) -
Katie Tritsch,
Ken Mix,
Michelle L. Edwards,
Manuel Piña
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of extension
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1077-5315
pISSN - 0022-0140
DOI - 10.34068/joe.59.02.18
Subject(s) - profitability index , transparency (behavior) , small farm , business , marketing , scale (ratio) , success factors , critical success factor , computer science , agriculture , geography , business administration , computer security , cartography , archaeology , finance
Small-scale farmers face unique challenges. In this review, we conceptualize small farm success by aggregating and categorizing results from recent (post-2000) literature on small farm success factors and producer needs assessments. Our findings suggest that small farm success is multifaceted and not limited to profitability. We find that small farms have a diverse range of needs, though little has been done to rank their importance. We conclude that future research would benefit from increased methodological transparency and a systematic approach to needs evaluation. We consider the role of Extension professionals regarding the continued success of small farms.