ABSTRACT
Scientists and politicians use the US Department of Agriculture's data to support the myth of the family farm. Any farm not operated by a paid manager and using less than 1.5 man-years of hired labor, regardless of any other characteristics, is classified as a family farm. Land-tenure data from the Census of Agriculture is a second source of evidence used to demonstrate that family farms predominate in the United States. Tenant farms and family farms may rely mostly on family labor, but their control over land resources distinguishes them from each other. Many family farms and larger-than-family farms are legally incorporated for the benefits of intergenerational farm transfers and federal and state income and inheritance laws. Farms with large farm sales can dominate the production of food and fiber regardless of how many smaller family farms exist. The availability and cost of capital to farmers affect their ability to operate family farms.
