Despite the relatively small amount of attention paid to small farms over the past four decades, the small farm sector continues to play a dynamic and important role in maintaining and stabilizing rural and urban communities. In rural communities, small farmers are often major clients of the entire business community. Their tax dollars support the community. In urban areas, small farms are often the only productive land use that can serve as a buffer btween high density population areas and rural areas. They contribute significantly to the quality of the urban diet by providing fresh, high-quality, diverse produce through direct markets to urban residents.
Small farms provide the fun and variety in the diet of many urban dwellers.
The growth of community supported agriculture reflects the concern of a small, but growing segment of the U.S. with where and how their food is produced. As stewards of the land, small farms provide open space for wildlife habitat, water recharge, and the human need for natural vistas. Larger, more capital intensive agriculture often cannot make the same decisions about land use. Small farmers, with lower capital investment, often buy and produce on lands that are not desirable for large scale intensive farming. Their lower investments permit them to retain land in less intensive production even on more valuable land.