New Inquiries into the Agri-culture of the Middle

The disappearing “agriculture of the middle” (AOTM) has been characterized as a “market structure” phenomenon, with midsized farms being defined generally as “too small to compete in the highly consolidated commodity... [ view full abstract ]

The disappearing “agriculture of the middle” (AOTM) has been characterized as a “market structure” phenomenon, with midsized farms being defined generally as “too small to compete in the highly consolidated commodity markets and too large and commoditized to sell in the direct markets” (e.g. see Kirschenmann et al. and Lyson et al. 2008). As a result of the market vulnerability of midsized farms, much research into renewing the AOTM has emphasized with alternative, values-oriented markets and associated infrastructural solutions.  A national priority research agenda aimed at reinvigorating the midsized farm sector has therefore largely emphasized examining issues of scale, economic impact and incentives, and new models for fostering values-based supply chains (Clancy 2010).   This research has successfully examined, for example, food hub models, dairy cooperatives, and mobile meat processing initiatives that emphasize product aggregation, new forms of distribution, and linkages among vulnerable small and midsized farming operations. While these contributions have significantly advanced market and policy-oriented research on the AOTM, few investigations to date have delved into critical cultural factors that intersect with AOTM vulnerabilities. For example, sustaining midsized farmland tenure and access is a function not only of socioeconomic factors but also cultural and racial barriers (Calo and De Master 2016). Moreover, as foundational rural social science work has demonstrated (e.g. see Salamon 1992), addressing the “hollowing out” of rural America symptomatic of the decline in midsized farm operations calls for investigations into rural culture and ethnic identity, in addition to structural economic barriers. This paper presents an overview of advances in AOTM research in the past decade while also suggesting important new lines of cultural inquiry within the agriculture of the middle research.