Multi-Enterprising Farm Households: The Importance of Their Alternative Business Ventures in the Rural Economy.

摘要

Farm operators and their households have a choice in how their entrepreneurial and managerial skills are used to earn business income. They can focus on traditional commodity production, use farm resources to produce other (noncommodity) goods and services, or operate an off-farm business in addition to their onfarm activities. Close to a third of U.S. farm households generate income by engaging in off-farm business ventures and onfarm activities independent of commodity production. The latter, referred to as onfarm diversification activities, range from operating agritourism ventures to supplying forest products to selling output at farmers markets. Farm operators also may own off-farm businesses, which face fluctuating conditions in the economy. Average off-farm business income earned by farm households was $63,800 in 2001, peaked at $76,800 in 2006, and fell to $42,700 in 2008.