Meeting agricultural policy and statistical goals requires a definition of U.S. agriculture's basic unit, the farm. However, these goals can be at odds with one another. USDA defines farm very broadly to comprehensively measure agricultural activity. Consequently, most establishments classified...

The U.S. farm sector is characterized by a great deal of heterogeneity. One reason for the heterogeneity in farm sizes is the multiple objectives of producers, which in addition to profit‐making, include a high‐quality rural lifestyle. The traditional aggregate indicators capture the...

Production and marketing contracts govern 36 percent of the value of U.S. agricultural production, up from 12 percent in 1969. Contracts are now the primary method of handling sales of many livestock commodities, including milk, hogs, and broilers, and of major crops such as sugar beets, fruit,...

Production and marketing contracts govern 36 percent of the value of U.S. agricultural production, up from 12 percent in 1969. Contracts are now the primary method of handling sales of many livestock commodities, including milk, hogs, and broilers, and of major crops such as sugar beets, fruit,...