{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/72282"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/72282","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Modeling Whole Farm Systems to Enhance Beginning Small Farmer Success in Southwest Virginia","abstract":"The number of very small farms (<10 acres) is increasing and beginning farmers (in practice for <10 years) are more likely to run them. Very small farms are typically complex systems in which the farmer manages both production of a diverse array of crops and marketing of crops directly to consumers and their failure rate in early years is high. This work seeks to increase the likelihood of success for beginning farmers by understanding these complex systems better. We collected qualitative and quantitative data from interviews with three successful beginning farm operations in Southwest Virginia covering practical and philosophical aspects of farm production, sales and management. We mapped social, environmental and economic aspects of farming systems and studied how farmers use resources (Community Capitals) and management to enhance their system's success, developing a broader definition of success that encompasses what farmers gain from farming beyond profitability. Using these maps, we created a system dynamics model of a small farm system in STELLA including unique components such as customer attraction and retention. Through model development, we learned that these successful farmers began their operations with experience and financial resources, and employed their skills, resourcefulness and cultural and social capital to charge prices for their products that could sustain their operations financially. Using our model, current and aspiring farmers, service providers, and small farm advocates will be able to simulate real or hypothetical farm systems to better understand what establishing a successful small farm might require and how to confront potential challenges.","abstract_html":"The number of very small farms (&lt;10 acres) is increasing and beginning farmers (in practice for &lt;10 years) are more likely to run them. Very small farms are typically complex systems in which the farmer manages both production of a diverse array of crops and marketing of crops directly to consumers and their failure rate in early years is high. This work seeks to increase the likelihood of success for beginning farmers by understanding these complex systems better. We collected qualitative and quantitative data from interviews with three successful beginning farm operations in Southwest Virginia covering practical and philosophical aspects of farm production, sales and management. We mapped social, environmental and economic aspects of farming systems and studied how farmers use resources (Community Capitals) and management to enhance their system&#x27;s success, developing a broader definition of success that encompasses what farmers gain from farming beyond profitability. Using these maps, we created a system dynamics model of a small farm system in STELLA including unique components such as customer attraction and retention. Through model development, we learned that these successful farmers began their operations with experience and financial resources, and employed their skills, resourcefulness and cultural and social capital to charge prices for their products that could sustain their operations financially. Using our model, current and aspiring farmers, service providers, and small farm advocates will be able to simulate real or hypothetical farm systems to better understand what establishing a successful small farm might require and how to confront potential challenges.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Sorensen, Emily Allyson"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences","degree_department":"Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Hodges, Steven C."],"committee_members":["Evanylo, Gregory K.","O'Rourke, Megan E.","Niewolny, Kimberly L."],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-08-19","date_published":"2016-08-19","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:21Z","subjects":["beginning farmers","small farms","farmer decision making","system dynamics","whole farm model","success indicators"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:7301"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:7301","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/72282","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Hodges, Steven C."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Evanylo, Gregory K.","O'Rourke, Megan E.","Niewolny, Kimberly L."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Sorensen, Emily Allyson"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2016-08-20T08:00:33Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-08-20T08:00:33Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2016-08-19"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["beginning farmers","small farms","farmer decision making","system dynamics","whole farm model","success indicators"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:7301"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/72282"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The number of very small farms (<10 acres) is increasing and beginning farmers (in practice for <10 years) are more likely to run them. Very small farms are typically complex systems in which the farmer manages both production of a diverse array of crops and marketing of crops directly to consumers and their failure rate in early years is high. This work seeks to increase the likelihood of success for beginning farmers by understanding these complex systems better. We collected qualitative and quantitative data from interviews with three successful beginning farm operations in Southwest Virginia covering practical and philosophical aspects of farm production, sales and management. We mapped social, environmental and economic aspects of farming systems and studied how farmers use resources (Community Capitals) and management to enhance their system's success, developing a broader definition of success that encompasses what farmers gain from farming beyond profitability. Using these maps, we created a system dynamics model of a small farm system in STELLA including unique components such as customer attraction and retention. Through model development, we learned that these successful farmers began their operations with experience and financial resources, and employed their skills, resourcefulness and cultural and social capital to charge prices for their products that could sustain their operations financially. Using our model, current and aspiring farmers, service providers, and small farm advocates will be able to simulate real or hypothetical farm systems to better understand what establishing a successful small farm might require and how to confront potential challenges."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Modeling Whole Farm Systems to Enhance Beginning Small Farmer Success in Southwest Virginia"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Hodges, Steven C."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Evanylo, Gregory K.","O'Rourke, Megan E.","Niewolny, Kimberly L."],"dc:contributor.department":["Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences"],"dc:creator":["Sorensen, Emily Allyson"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2016-08-20T08:00:33Z"],"dc:date.available":["2016-08-20T08:00:33Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2016-08-19"],"dc:description.abstract":["The number of very small farms (<10 acres) is increasing and beginning farmers (in practice for <10 years) are more likely to run them. Very small farms are typically complex systems in which the farmer manages both production of a diverse array of crops and marketing of crops directly to consumers and their failure rate in early years is high. This work seeks to increase the likelihood of success for beginning farmers by understanding these complex systems better. We collected qualitative and quantitative data from interviews with three successful beginning farm operations in Southwest Virginia covering practical and philosophical aspects of farm production, sales and management. We mapped social, environmental and economic aspects of farming systems and studied how farmers use resources (Community Capitals) and management to enhance their system's success, developing a broader definition of success that encompasses what farmers gain from farming beyond profitability. Using these maps, we created a system dynamics model of a small farm system in STELLA including unique components such as customer attraction and retention. Through model development, we learned that these successful farmers began their operations with experience and financial resources, and employed their skills, resourcefulness and cultural and social capital to charge prices for their products that could sustain their operations financially. Using our model, current and aspiring farmers, service providers, and small farm advocates will be able to simulate real or hypothetical farm systems to better understand what establishing a successful small farm might require and how to confront potential challenges."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:7301"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/72282"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["beginning farmers","small farms","farmer decision making","system dynamics","whole farm model","success indicators"],"dc:title":["Modeling Whole Farm Systems to Enhance Beginning Small Farmer Success in Southwest Virginia"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:21Z"}