Summer 2007

Where have all the farmers gone?

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Where have all the farmers gone? A study on the disappearance of small farms in Wayne County, Ohio
by Emily Irvine, Bexley, Ohio

Advised by Nick Kardulias, sociology and anthropology

Emily Irvine, who grew up in the suburbs in Bexley, Ohio, fell in love with the culture of small-scale farming when she worked on an organic farm in Maine, the summer before her senior year. She knew that she wanted to learn more.

Irvine’s demographic research revealed that while farmland is gradually disappearing in the United States, the number of small farms is increasing. However, she found that many farmers must take other jobs to make ends meet.

Irvine said that the in-depth interviews she conducted with eight Wayne County farmers made her more optimistic about the situation than she thought she would be at the beginning of the project. “I was so inspired to learn about the innovative things that are happening. For example, one farmer is making a living by growing mushrooms on one acre of land.”

Irvine also said she was surprised by the extent to which Wayne County consumers supported their small farmers through markets and cooperatives. “People are becoming more aware of where their food is coming from and how it’s grown,” she says.

Irvine hopes to pursue her interest in small-scale farming, perhaps with Americorps.