Research suggests small towns' economies affect farm size more than farm size affects the towns Research suggests small towns' economies affect farm size more than farm size affects the towns B oarded up storefronts and empty main streets haunt rural communities across the Great Plains. Larger farms are blamed. Conventional wisdom says that as farms grow larger to increase efficiency, fewer people farm.
Fewer people means less support for small town businesses.
A downward spiral develops. Stores close, people move on. Research by IANR agricultural economists suggests, however, that it's small towns' economies that affect farm size more than farm size affects small towns. They found average farm size is smaller in areas where local off-farm jobs are available. The area around Lincoln, dotted with small farms, is a good example.