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Sociology of Agriculture and Food (SAFRIG)

The Goldschmidt Hypothesis in the Twenty-First Century: The Relationship between Farm Size and Community Well-Being Ellie Martin*, Ellie Martin, Paige Kelly,

In 1946, Walter R. Goldschmidt first presented his hypothesis that small-to-medium family farms are better for community wellbeing than large corporate farms. Many studies, both qualitative and quantitative, have since explored Goldschmidt’s theory. However, the results of these studies have been mixed. Some researchers have concluded that the Goldschmidt hypothesis is largely supported by more recent data, arguing that smaller farms continue to be associated with community wellbeing. Others refute Goldschmidt’s theory, asserting that any difference that farm size may once have had on community wellbeing has since diminished. Notably, little research has been done to test the effect of farm size on community wellbeing in the twenty-first century. Given the drastic changes experienced in agriculture and rural communities since Goldschmidt first proposed his theory, it is important to update this research with current data. This study uses OLS regression models to examine the effect of average farm size on community wellbeing, with communities defined as U.S. counties. Data from the 2012 and 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture is paired with the American Community Survey. Findings tell us that farm size no longer has a significant impact on community wellbeing when controlling for demographics and farm characteristics. Instead, farmer characteristics appear to be much more influential on community wellbeing than farm size alone. Ultimately, the landscape of agriculture and the communities that house these farms have changed so drastically in the United States since Goldschmidt first proposed his hypothesis that measuring farm size as a predictor of community wellbeing may no longer be as useful as it once was.