Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T16:30:25.080Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

From the field: A participatory approach to assess labor inputs on organic diversified vegetable farms in the Upper Midwestern USA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 May 2017

E.M. Silva ,
J. Hendrickson ,
P.D. Mitchell  and
E. Bietila
E.M. Silva*
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Dr., Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
J. Hendrickson
Affiliation:
Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1535 Observatory Dr., Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
P.D. Mitchell
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 427 Lorch Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1503, USA.
E. Bietila
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, PO Box 646420, Pullman, Washington 99164-6420, USA.
*
*Corresponding author: emsilva@wisc.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Consumer interest in locally grown produce continues to increase in the USA. Small, diversified vegetable farms, including those managed organically, have been important contributors to meet this growing demand for local product. To be profitable in these markets, farmers must be able to appropriately price their products to cover production costs and provide themselves and their employees a living wage. Questions remain, however, as to the most effective method of assessing the cost of production of specific crops on these farms, in part due to the variability in labor inputs associated with diversified farming strategies. This study used a participatory approach to investigate both methodologies for varied widely, with high coefficients of variation calculated for all values, indicating high farm-to-farm variability in labor required for seasonal activities. Farmers reported both challenges with data collection, as well as successes in using data analysis to guide management decisions. This ongoing work highlights the value of collecting farm-specific data for use in cost-of-production determinations.

Keywords

organic agriculturelabordiversified vegetable productionlocal food systems
Type
From the Field
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 34 , Issue 1 , February 2019 , pp. 1 - 6
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ali, M. and Lucier, G. 2008. Production expenses of specialized vegetable and melon farms. USDA-Economic Research Service Report #VGS-328-01.Google Scholar
Chase, C. 2008. Ag Decision Maker: Pricing for Profit. Iowa State University University Extension, Ames, IA. Available at Web site http://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/wholefarm/pdf/c1-55.pdf (accessed 18 July 2016).Google Scholar
Chase, C., Smith, M., and Delate, K. 2006. Organic Crop Production Enterprise Budgets. FM 1876. Iowa State University, Ames, IA.Google Scholar
Hardesty, S. 2007. Producer Returns in Alternative Marketing Channels. Small Farms Program, Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics. University of California, Davis, CA. Available at Web site http://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/events/07hardesty.pdf (accessed 18 July 2016).Google Scholar
Hardesty, S.D. and Leff, P. 2010. Determining marketing costs and returns in alternative marketing channels. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 25:24–34.Google Scholar
Hendrickson, J. 2005. Grower to Grower: Creating a Livelihood on a Fresh Market Vegetable Farm. University of Wisconsin Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, Madison, WI. Available at Web site http://www.cias.wisc.edu/wpcontent/uploads/2008/07/grwr2grwr.pdf (accessed 18 July 2016).Google Scholar
Johnson, R., Cowan, T. and Aussenberg, R.A. 2012. The role of local food systems in US farm policy. CRS Report for Congress R (Vol. 42155). Available at Web site http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42155.pdf (accessed 18 July 2016).Google Scholar
Juster, F.T. and Stafford, F.P. 1991. The allocation of time: Empirical findings, behavioral models, and problems of measurement. Journal of Economic Literature 29:471–522.Google Scholar
LeRoux, M.N., Schmit, T.M., Roth, M. and Streeter, D.H. 2010. Evaluating marketing channel options for small-scale fruit and vegetable producers. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 25:16–23.Google Scholar
Lohr, L. and Park, T.A. 2009. Labor pains: Valuing seasonal versus year-round labor on organic farms. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 34:316–331.Google Scholar
Niemi, I. 1993. Systematic error in behavioural measurement: Comparing results from interview and time budget studies. Social Indicators Research 30:229–244.Google Scholar
Silva, E.M., Dong, F., Mitchell, P.D., and Hendrickson, J. 2014. Impact of marketing channels on perceptions of quality of life and profitability of Wisconsin's organic vegetable farmers. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 30:428–438.Google Scholar
USDA. 2009a. Facts on Direct-to-consumer Food Marketing: Incorporating Data from the 2007 Census of Agriculture. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Washington, DC, 20 June 2013. Available at Web site http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5076729 (accessed 18 July 2016).Google Scholar
USDA. 2013. Farmers Market Growth: 1994–2013. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Washington, DC. Available at Web site http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateS&navID=WholesaleandFarmersMarkets&leftNav=WholesaleandFarmersMarkets&page=WFMFarmersMarketGrowth&description=Farmers%20Market%20Growth&acct=frmrdirmkt (accessed 18 July 2016).Google Scholar
USDA-AMS. 2009b. USDA launches ‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ initiative, News Release No. 0440.09. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Washington, DC, 20 June 2013. Available at Web site http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2009/09/0440.xml (accessed 18 July 2016).Google Scholar
Uva, W.-F.L. 2002. An analysis of vegetable farms’ direct marketing activities in New York State. Journal of Food Distribution Research 33:186–189.Google Scholar
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (WI- DATCP). 2013. Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin. WI-DATCP, Madison, WI. Available at Web site http://datcp.wi.gov/business/buy_local_buy_wisconsin (accessed 18 July 2016).Google Scholar