Is There Evidence of a Critical Mass in the Mid-Atlantic Agriculture Sector Between 1949 and 1997? - FIC

We’ve detected that you are using an outdated browser.

Please use a new browser like Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Microsoft Edge to improve your experience.

We’ve detected that you are using an outdated browser.

Publications

Is There Evidence of a Critical Mass in the Mid-Atlantic Agriculture Sector Between 1949 and 1997?

Ongoing farmland loss has led county planners to ask “is there a critical mass of farmland needed?” to retain a viable agricultural sector. This study examines whether counties lost farmland at a faster rate if the number of agricultural acres fell below a critical threshold. Results from six Mid Atlantic states over the period 1949 to 1997 indicate that counties with fewer agricultural acres lost farmland at a faster rate. However, after splitting the study period into two time segments (1949-1978 and 1978-1997) and modeling separately, this result was not found for the later time period, suggesting a uniform critical mass level may not exist. Population growth in a county accelerated farmland loss over all time periods.

Publication Name
Agricultural and Resource Economics Review
Author
Lori Lynch and Janet Carpenter
Publisher
Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota
Page Numbers
116-128
Publication Date
April 01, 2003
Publication Type
Articles
State
Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia
Keywords
Unassigned

Visit American Farmland Trust

Get engaged and receive the information you need right in your inbox.