There has always been a considerable political tradition within Europe towards protection and preservation of the small farm. Many arguments have been put forward to uphold this protective attitude, particularly in the line of social and environmental benefits. However these claims have never really been substantiated in any way. This article explores the economic links of a small sample of farms in Central England by the spatial tracking of postcodes from their invoices and receipts and establishes that the small farms do appear to be more closely meshed with their local rural economy than larger farms, and thus are likely to have greater effect towards supporting the rural economy, particularly indirect employment. It may be that other small farms and indeed other small firms exhibit a similar relationship with the rural economy, and if so, would merit particular support in strategies promoting rural development.
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