Even the most casual review of literature suggests that there are numerous definitions of small farm. Range in definitions varies from acres of land, units of livestock, value of farm products sold, days worked off-farm, level of farm income, to level of total family income [3]. Many authors combine two or more of these classificatio ns to arrive at a more limited definition. Some authors even display wisdom by not attempting to specifically define what they mean by small farms. It becomes clear that the small farm is not precisely defined either within the agricultural research community or for the general public. As William W. Wood recently points out "Small becomes less a descriptive term than it is a philosophical one. .. . Policy objectives and small-farm categories are interrelated, and they are identified on the basis of the concerns of interested parties or participants" [6]. Public discussion of small-farm issues is also confounded by a lingering set of beliefs about farming-some of which may no longer be valid. These beliefs include: 1 , o The economic performance of the farm establishment is an accurate reflection of the economic well-being of the farm family. o Small farms are problems while family farms have problems. Images of the family farm are inherently positive while images of the small farm are inherently negative.
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