gradual adjustment of agricultural resources
takes place. Part-time farming may also help
maintain-a minimum population in the coun-
tryside and conserve a cultivated landscape
(which enhances its value for recreation). From
an economic standpoint, everyone from carpen-
ters to storekeepers benefit from the purchasing
power of these farmers. Basically, two kinds of
contributions can be postulated: direct, when a
part-time farmer performs tasks that are an inte-
gral part of the commercial structure of the local
community; and indirect, in which he/she stimu-
lates both income and employment multipliers.
Part-time farming may also help provide security
to rural communities in times of economic reces-
sion.
CONCLUSIONS
The number of part-time farmers who depend
principally upon off-farm sources of income has
been increasing throughout the U.S., even
though total numbers of farms have declined.
The results of this study indicate that part-time
and full-time farms exhibit significant differ-
ences. Additionally, part-time farms are no less
efficient in allocation of resources and in the
production of food than are full-time farms.
Thus, the observation that an individual is a
part-time farmer does not, in itself, indicate any-
thing about the productivity of that farm unit.
Part-time farming is an important feature to
consider in discussions of the major policy issues
in agriculture and rural development. There are
some economic and social benefits to be obtained
from part-time farming; however, it is not yet
clear whether positive measures need to be taken
to encourage part-time farming. According to
Jones, many farm families do not earn the in-
come that is realistically feasible for them to
earn. Jones attributes this to the lack of adequate
information, including information regarding ap-
propriate changes in farm organization and oper-
ation. Public policies designed to assist small
farmers must recognize the potential return a
farmer may receive from allocating his resources
to off-farm work. Policy makers need to begin
thinking about possible strategies that public pol-
icy could incorporate with respect to part-time
farming.
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