UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Davidoff, Chelsea Lee
Dept./Program:
Community Development and Applied Economics
Year:
2012
Degree:
MS
Abstract:
Wendell Berry famously stated, "Eating is an agricultural act." This thesis will further break down and examine how eating is in fact an agricultural act. We delve into the concept in two chapters; addressing two different paradigms of agricultural dilemmas - one from the eater and one from the agriculturalist. Each chapter presents and addresses a problem in today's broken food system.
The first chapter of this thesis focuses on the agricultural producer; narrowed in scope to the dairy farmer. The objective of the first paper is to determine what, if any, farm and farm characteristics are associated with diversification of dairy farms. Commonalities in characteristics found by the analysis in this paper, would allow policy, education, and outreach to be targeted efficiently. The dairy farm is economically fragile in the northeast, where small and medium sized farms dominate the industry. Diversification of the dairy farm provides an opportunity for the farm to be more resilient to changes. Diversify, in the most basic sense, as defmed by Merriam-Webster, is to (a) produce a variety and (b) engage in a variety of opeations. For the purpose of this paper diversification is more broadly the investment of capital to reduce the risk associated with a particular business or enterprise. This paper analyzed 1,222 farms in seven northeastern states - a region believed to have more opportunity for diversification. Three broad agricultural diversification theories were the basis for the models used in this: economies of scale, risk aversion, and the turnpike theory.
The farm and farmer characteristics found to have relationships with diversification were applied to models used in this paper to help depict what characteristics make up the diversified dairy farms in the northeast. From the models used, limited significant relationships emerged between characteristics and the probability of diversification (and degree of diversification) on a dairy farm. The results displays diversificatIon has an individualistic pattern with no one characteristic or diversification activity emerging as a predominate strategy. The characteristics found to have relationships with diversification in the broad agricultural literature do not hold true for diversification of dairy farms in the northeast. The characteristics (e.g. time and knowledge) and structure of the dairy industry do not lend to diversification.
The second chapter will concentrate on the eater, or the consumer of agricultural products. The de-localization ofthe food system during the 19th and 20th century severely damaged the connection between the consumer and the place of food production. Recently in the United States, there has been a refocus on foods location of origin and a desire to create a system that mimics the French place-based food system Appellation d'Origine Controlle (AOC). Establishing a system for identifying place-based foods could be a usefule tool for agricultural regions to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. Vermont has been interested in implementing such a system to differentiate its' agricultural products in the marketplace. For this system to be successful, a clear understanding of what the attributes consumers' value is critical. This paper examines the value consumers' place on particular attributes associated with a product, utilizing a . willingness to pay methodology. It examines the willingness to pay for certified organic, ethical productions methods, made in Vermont, pastoral ideals and multiple characteristics.
The first chapter of this thesis focuses on the agricultural producer; narrowed in scope to the dairy farmer. The objective of the first paper is to determine what, if any, farm and farm characteristics are associated with diversification of dairy farms. Commonalities in characteristics found by the analysis in this paper, would allow policy, education, and outreach to be targeted efficiently. The dairy farm is economically fragile in the northeast, where small and medium sized farms dominate the industry. Diversification of the dairy farm provides an opportunity for the farm to be more resilient to changes. Diversify, in the most basic sense, as defmed by Merriam-Webster, is to (a) produce a variety and (b) engage in a variety of opeations. For the purpose of this paper diversification is more broadly the investment of capital to reduce the risk associated with a particular business or enterprise. This paper analyzed 1,222 farms in seven northeastern states - a region believed to have more opportunity for diversification. Three broad agricultural diversification theories were the basis for the models used in this: economies of scale, risk aversion, and the turnpike theory.
The farm and farmer characteristics found to have relationships with diversification were applied to models used in this paper to help depict what characteristics make up the diversified dairy farms in the northeast. From the models used, limited significant relationships emerged between characteristics and the probability of diversification (and degree of diversification) on a dairy farm. The results displays diversificatIon has an individualistic pattern with no one characteristic or diversification activity emerging as a predominate strategy. The characteristics found to have relationships with diversification in the broad agricultural literature do not hold true for diversification of dairy farms in the northeast. The characteristics (e.g. time and knowledge) and structure of the dairy industry do not lend to diversification.
The second chapter will concentrate on the eater, or the consumer of agricultural products. The de-localization ofthe food system during the 19th and 20th century severely damaged the connection between the consumer and the place of food production. Recently in the United States, there has been a refocus on foods location of origin and a desire to create a system that mimics the French place-based food system Appellation d'Origine Controlle (AOC). Establishing a system for identifying place-based foods could be a usefule tool for agricultural regions to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. Vermont has been interested in implementing such a system to differentiate its' agricultural products in the marketplace. For this system to be successful, a clear understanding of what the attributes consumers' value is critical. This paper examines the value consumers' place on particular attributes associated with a product, utilizing a . willingness to pay methodology. It examines the willingness to pay for certified organic, ethical productions methods, made in Vermont, pastoral ideals and multiple characteristics.