Economics of Part-Time Farming

Part-time farming in Maryland and the Northeast with full-time off-farm employment of one or more of the farm operators is competitive incomewise with many types and sizes of commercial farms. Individuals, families, and society in general will benefit in the future from the encouragement of fuller utilization of underutilized or unemployed rural resources to produce marketable agricultural output and subsistence types of food for household and local charitable purposes. Labor extensive types of crop and animal production activities have increased relatively and absolutely during the past decade on Maryland and Northeastern part-time farms. Average characteristics of a sample of 80 part-time farmers showed 1) age of male operator - 44 years, 2) education of operator - 12 years, 3) number of children on the farm - 3 children, 4) years of experience in farming - 15 years, 5) days of off-farm employment - 225 days, 6) proximity of off-farm job to a major metropolitan center - 20 miles and 7) distance to off-farm job - 29 miles.