The “Sweet Spot” in the Middle: Why Do Mid-Scale Farms Adopt Diversification Practices at Higher Rates?

Abstract

In the past few decades, farmers and researchers have firmly established that biologically diversified farming systems improve ecosystem services both on and off the farm, producing economic benefits for farmers and ecological benefits for surrounding landscapes. However, adoption of these practices has been slow, requiring a more nuanced examination of both barriers and opportunities to improve adoption rates. While previous research has demonstrated that both individual and structural factors shape farmers' decisions about whether to adopt diversification practices, this study aims to understand the interaction of these individual and structural factors, and how they relate to farm scale. Based on 20 interviews with organic lettuce growers on the Central Coast of California, as well as 8 interviews with technical assistance providers who work with these growers, we constructed a typology to help elucidate the distinct contexts that shape growers' decisions about diversification practices. This typology, which reflects the structural influence of land rent and supply chains, divides growers into three categories: limited resource, mid-scale diversified, or wholesale. In this economic context, limited resource and wholesale growers both experience significant barriers that constrain the adoption of diversification practices, while some mid-scale diversified growers have found a “sweet spot” for managing agroecosystems that can succeed in both economic and ecological terms. The key enabling factors that allow these farmers to choose diversification, however, are not directly related to their farm size, but have more to do with secure land tenure, adequate access to capital and resources, and buyers who share their values and are willing to pay a premium. By focusing on these key enabling factors with targeted policies, we believe it is possible to encourage diversification practices on farms at a variety of scales within California's Central Coast.

Remote sensing of hedgerows, windbreaks, and winter cover crops in California's Central Coast reveals low adoption but hotspots of use

“…Similar patterns were found for cover crops with a hotspot in the more marginal farmland of Monterey County. A study of farms across 20 counties in Indiana found that cover cropped fields were significantly steeper than non-cover cropped fields, likely for erosion control, and that farms that cover cropped were often smaller (Lira and Tyner, 2018), much like the mid-sized farms in our region that have reported using similar diversification practices (Esquivel et al, 2021). This was also supported in our interviews where many farmers reported maintaining hedgerows/windbreaks and cover crops in hilly or less prime farmland to prevent erosion.…”

“…Within our interview sample, farms ranged in size from 4 acres to over 10,000 acres (mean: 1,935 acres; median: 100 acres) and spanned four counties: Monterey (5 interviews), San Benito (4), Santa Cruz (5), and Santa Clara (1), with 5 additional farmers spanning multiple of these counties. Details of participant recruitment and interview procedures can be found in Esquivel et al (2021) and Carlisle et al (2022). Briefly, we selected a stratified sample of all organic farms in these counties that listed organic lettuce as a crop and contacted farmers that reflected ecological diversity (e.g., crop diversity) and a diversity of farm scales (i.e., sizes), geographical locations within the study region, and cultural backgrounds/first languages.…”

“…Vineyards are commonly found on land classified as Unique Farmland, especially in the south of Monterey County, which could explain the hedgerow/windbreak hotspot in this area. Moreover, farmers we interviewed who were raising crops on "Unique Farmland" tended to be small or mid-sized and more likely to sell their produce through regional grocery stores, community supported agriculture, farmers markets, or regional aggregators-alternative agri-food networks that could help offset the costs of using these practices while also imposing less pressure to meet supply chain requirements (Esquivel et al, 2021).…”

“…Cover crops have been grown on only ∼5% of farmland in recent years (Brennan, 2017; USDA United States Department of Agriculture, 2019), while statewide estimates for other non-crop vegetation practices, like hedgerows and windbreaks, do not even exist. Qualitative studies have documented significant barriers to adoption for hedgerows and cover crops, especially in California's Central Coast (Esquivel et al, 2021;Carlisle et al, 2022). This region produces mainly vegetables and fruits that are often consumed raw (e.g., lettuce and strawberries), and food safety concerns are paramount.…”

Farm resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of California direct market farmers

“…Farmers explained in open responses on the survey that this was because expanding into new market channels added to operational logistics and required a greater investment of time and resources to manage, a phenomenon detailed by Bachman et al (2021) . As noted by Esquivel et al (2021) , each market channel came with its own buyer requirements in terms of food safety protocols. These varying standards were likely exacerbated during the pandemic when greater sanitation protocols were put in place.…”