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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: [email protected]
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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 

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