Small Farms and Sustainability: A Case Study in Madison County, New York

1 Small Farms and Sustainability : A Case Study in Madison County, New York " The Feds just don't understand local issues. What we need is a countrywide…a worldwide support of local foods…of organic foods…real organics that is. If the support doesn't start at the top, we'll probably never get there. "-Madison County Farm Owner, 2010 Introduction The small farm has always been a vital part of the culture of the United States, although it has faced many challenges along the way, including several wars, the Dust Bowl, and economic disasters such as the Great Depression and the " Farm Crisis " of the 1970's (Strange, 1988). While there are many different technical definitions of a small farm, all generally pertaining to size and sales, the most common one is a privately owned farm that is not associated with a large corporation, and that has few if any employees (other than the owners). The term small farm is somewhat interchangeable with " family farm " but can also mean " hobby farm " or a farm that does not provide the main source of income for the owner. Owning and operating a small farm is an occupation and lifestyle that has both challenges and rewards. For many Americans, farming provides happiness and enjoyment as well as an agreeable environment in which to live and raise a family. Also, farming promotes the development of communities in rural areas that are wealthy in terms of social capital and psychological health (Woods 2005, Duram 2005, Hanley 1991). Along with the social benefits of small farming multiple studies show that it is more ecologically sustainable than large-scale farming and, in most cases, is more 2 efficient when environmental costs are considered Despite these rewards today's small farms are struggling to survive. The small farm culture that has been such an essential part of American and, indeed, Western society has largely died out (Woods, 2005, Demissie, 1990). There is a glimmer of hope, however, as recent trends in buying local, green agriculture, and organics are providing avenues for small farmers to find new markets (Kristiansen et al., 2006). Successful small farms today are often those that are capable of diversification and capitalizing upon new niches in the food system. Small-scale agriculture is widely regarded to be a more sustainable agricultural system (in terms of ecological, social, and economic conditions) than the corporate agriculture that has …