Title page for ETD etd-01102002-184902

Type of Document

Master's Thesis

Author

Dickinson, Keith Randolph

Author's Email Address

keithd@vt.edu

URN

etd-01102002-184902

Title

Deciding to Diversify: A Case Study of Seven Virginia Farm Businesses

Degree

Master of Science

Department

Agricultural and Applied Economics

Advisory Committee

Advisor Name	Title
Jones, Eluned C.	Committee Chair
Gibson, Jerry D.	Committee Member
Kohl, David M.	Committee Member
White, Alex A.	Committee Member

Keywords

Enterprise Decisions
Value-added
Farming
Agriculture
Farm Diversification
Virginia Cooperative Extension
Agritourism
Farm Management

Date of Defense

2001-10-22

Availability

unrestricted

Abstract

Farm enterprise diversification is an important tool for agricultural producers with respect
to risk management. As agricultural producers in Virginia look to prepare their farm businesses
for the new millennium, they are increasingly considering non-traditional enterprises and
activities for their farms. As producers add new enterprises, they encounter challenges to develop
new skills and gather adequate information for their new activities. Virginia Cooperative
Extension has the task of providing producers with timely and useful research-based information.
As both producers and Virginia Cooperative Extension agents and specialists prepare for the
challenges of the changing face of agriculture in Virginia in the next generation, a mutual
understanding of the key factors and motivations for enterprise diversification is necessary. This
study investigates the key factors, motivations, and information needs of seven diversified farms
in Virginia. The implications for producers and Cooperative Extension are outlined, and
recommendations are made for Virginia Cooperative Extension, lenders, and agribusiness.

Files

Filename		Size	Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)
Filename		Size	28.8 Modem	56K Modem	ISDN (64 Kb)	ISDN (128 Kb)	Higher-speed Access
	Appendix1.PDF	16.21 Kb	00:00:04	00:00:02	00:00:02	00:00:01	< 00:00:01
	Appendix2.PDF	41.90 Kb	00:00:11	00:00:05	00:00:05	00:00:02	< 00:00:01
	Appendix3.PDF	12.87 Kb	00:00:03	00:00:01	00:00:01	< 00:00:01	< 00:00:01
	Appendix4.PDF	59.88 Kb	00:00:16	00:00:08	00:00:07	00:00:03	< 00:00:01
	Appendix5.PDF	12.03 Kb	00:00:03	00:00:01	00:00:01	< 00:00:01	< 00:00:01
	Body.PDF	1.73 Mb	00:07:59	00:04:06	00:03:35	00:01:47	00:00:09
	FrontMatter.PDF	32.01 Kb	00:00:08	00:00:04	00:00:04	00:00:02	< 00:00:01
	Vitae.PDF	3.08 Kb	< 00:00:01	< 00:00:01	< 00:00:01	< 00:00:01	< 00:00:01
	WorksCited.PDF	3.51 Kb	< 00:00:01	< 00:00:01	< 00:00:01	< 00:00:01	< 00:00:01