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UVM Theses and Dissertations

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Format:
Print
Author:
Bécot, Florence Anne
Dept./Program:
Community Development and Applied Economics
Year:
2013
Degree:
M.S.
Abstract:
Demand for local food is booming and, this growth is of interest for farmers wanting to participate in the local food system. For the food system to be sustainable in the short and long-term, farmers need to be economically viable and have access to markets providing them with economic opportunities. The research presented in this thesis explores topics related to profitability prospects for farmers who are strongly rooted in the local food system.
The first article seeks to understand how diversified farmers measure their cost of production and determine prices, as those are important elements to measure profit. We conducted in-depth interviews of diversified Vermont farmers and used grounded theory to analyze the data. After a brief description of the farmers and their operations, we address the process of measuring the cost of production and pricing. We then address the decision-making process and the uncertainties that farmers are faced with. Our main conclusion is that it is not economically efficient and practical to spend time tracking the cost of production for all the crops. The most important consideration is for farmers to understand when they have enough information to run their farm operations.
The second article addresses the economic costs of good agricultural practices (GAPs) audits of small and medium size farms in Vermont. It focuses on the costs of infrastructure, equipment and labor required to successfully pass a USDA GAPs audit. In-depth interviews and surveys of produce farmers revealed that the cost of GAPs certification ranges between $37/acre and $54/acre and seven additional hours were required each week during the growing season. Based on this exploratory research, certifying all the farms in Vermont would cost between $228,216 and $3,019,114. Our study explored all the criteria of the certification and measured the costs of GAPs from planning stages to daily record keeping more than one year after the certification was achieved.