Most large farms have committed to specialist production, and have invested in equipment to enable economic success, for example specialising in sprouts. Smaller farms may be more flexible in what they can produce, but less mechanised production results in higher costs, which can mean the farm is economically unsustainable. Diversification on smaller farms may be required in order to create a complementary range of income streams, for example opening farm shops, generating energy or growing unconventional crops, however diversification is likely to result in more time being required to market what is produced.
Very interesting National Agricultural Statistics from Defra, including income trends, industry break down, food prices and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Brian Pack Inquiry is considering future support for agriculture in Scotland.
The Common Agricultural Policy provides ‘single farm payments’
A farm for the future - thoughtful BBC programme considering what sustainable farming might look like
This 2001 report from the University of Essex outlines the benefits and drawbacks of local food systems including CSAs, box schemes and farmers’ markets