The engagement of farm businesses with pluriactivity in response to persistent downward pressures on agricultural incomes provided an enduring focus for research in agricultural geography during the late 20th century. This study contributes to and further develops the pluriactivity genre of research through a detailed investigation of farm-based recreation. A review of existing literature reveals that farm-based recreation has been widely acknowledged as a significant component of pluriactivity, yet the reasons for its contemporary development remain largely unexplored for two main interrelated reasons. First, the concept of pluriactivity is inadequate because it places emphasis on income-generating non-agricultural enterprises, yet many recreational activities fill non-economic roles within the farm business and have therefore been ignored in previous research. Secondly, those studies that examine farm-based recreation specifically are anachronistic and suffer from a failure to define it consistently. The variety of recreational activities included within 'recreation' varies considerably between studies. For example, the majority of studies have not included shortterm recreational events in their analyses. The economic nature of these studies is again a handicap. This study resolves definitional issues and presents a conceptual framework for a more rigorous analysis of farm-based recreation than hitherto has been attempted. The framework synthesizes the underlying principles of the established modified political economy approach in agricultural geography with insights from postmodernism in rural geography as represented by the 'cultural turn'. It represents a rational, sensible and profitable approach which combines the major strengths and takes account of the criticisms of both perspectives. Its value for this study is that a flexible methodology can be used to ensure that the analysis is sensitive to the great diversity of both recreational activities and the farm business forms within which they are enmeshed. An extensive postal questionnaire survey of over 4000 farms is conducted in eight geographical regions (counties) selected primarily on the basis of their agricultural characteristics. This enables the diversity of recreational activities to be fully appreciated and a geographical analysis of them to be undertaken, features rarely explored by the literature. Building upon the quantitative approach of the postal questionnaire survey, 20 individual farm businesses are selected for more detailed qualitative investigation in the form of ethnographic case studies. Using the conceptual framework as a guide, results from both quantitative and qualitative approaches are discussed in an integrative way to provide a novel analysis of farm-based recreation. The results highlight the widespread occurrence of recreational activities. Indeed, 41% of the postal questionnaire survey respondents provide some form of permanent and/or temporary recreational activity, a figure significantly higher than typically reported in previous studies. Differentiated by broad categories, and specific types, the diversity of different forms of recreational provision becomes apparent, highlighting the occurrence of numerous types rarely documented before. Distinct patterns emerge from an analysis of the inter- and intra-regional incidence of recreational provision. The characteristics of recreational activities and the factors influencing their initiation, operation and evolution are explored. The relatively low level of financial motivation expressed in relation to the initiation of recreational activities is of particular interest (42% of farms with recreational provision), and highlights the abundance of non-financially motivated forms and the importance of interest, altruistic and social motives. Clear variations in motives according to categories, and types, of recreational activity are also observed and two broad groups, characterised as economic 'diversification recreation' and non-economic 'cultural recreation', emerge. Detailed analysis of the relationships between recreational provision and farm business characteristics and operation identifies many strong links. Finally, an exploration of the reasons for the non-adoption of recreational activities is undertaken. With a renewed policy emphasis on rural development, including on-farm diversification, from the Agenda 2000 reform of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) currently being implemented, these findings make a significant contribution to the understanding of a phenomenon that is likely to be important to both farmers and researchers in agricultural geography in the early 21st century.

The purpose of this study was to develop and demonstrate an analytical framework to filter technical and economic information regarding alternative agricultural enterprises in order to enable farmers to make more informed diversification and adjustment decisions. This is particularly important for areas that need to adjust the structure of income sources as a result of dramatic changes in market demand and/or agricultural policy. Tobacco producing regions are currently facing such a problem in the United States. These regions need to consider a wide range of alternatives to maintain or enhance income and standards of living. The problem involved both strategic economic decisions and operational economic decisions. The method used combined information in the ArcView Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with Linear Programming (LP). Part of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, served as a case study example. A GIS database including soils and climatic conditions of the study area was created. Soils belonging to land capability classes 1 to 4 were considered for agricultural purposes. Agronomic requirements for specific yield levels of the enterprises considered were tabulated. An ArcView GIS analysis was conducted based on soil map unit symbols. Soil depth, soil series, soil texture, slope, flood potential and average summer temperature were factors associated with yield. Natural drainage, pH, natural fertility, content of organic matter and annual rainfall were factors that served for enterprise budget adjustments. The output of ArcView GIS analysis is maps of physically viable enterprise boundaries or enterprise reference units and tables of attributes for each field. Marketing of agricultural products that have prices that fluctuate seasonally is feasible only within the period of time called the "market window". When average historical prices were above total costs, a market window was identified. The optimal enterprise mix was addressed by LP from a whole farm planning perspective based on the results of ArcView GIS analysis and other constraints, including crop rotations, and irrigation limits. Various levels of tobacco production, vegetable enterprise activity levels, and limits on irrigation were employed to generate, ten scenarios. Results include the optimal enterprise mix, net revenue (above variable costs), shadow prices and sensitivity analysis. It is shown that specialty crops are not likely to replace tobacco income, at least in the near term. Developing a diversified farm plan could help farmers to make a smooth transition to other alternatives. / Ph. D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF file.

Thesis (D. Tech. (Business Administration )) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2013. / A major concern for developing countries including South Africa is the high levels of unemployment, poverty and inequity. Developing countries have accordingly been pre-occupied with finding solutions to these problems. Drawing on the success of small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) from the developed countries such as the US and the UK, developing nations have embraced the idea of promoting development through SMMEs. But the overall performance of the small business sector in most developing countries has rather been dismal and as such have not been able to contribute optimally to the development agenda. Adopting a strategic management perspective, this study hypothesised that an integration of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and market orientations (MO) glued together by innovativeness (INNO) would yield superior outcomes than the stand-alone effects of these strategic postures. To test the hypothesis, a sample of 198 small scale agricultural enterprises (SSAEs) in the Vryburg region was surveyed. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed on the data generated. The empirical findings showed that EO + MO + INNO interactively exhibited positive and significant correlation with the performance (sales growth and profitability) of SSAEs in the Vryburg region. However, the inter-correlations of EO + MO + INNO with business performance were practically moderate. The moderate correlations create opportunities for strengthening the entrepreneurial and market orientations and innovativeness of SSAES and in fact small businesses in general. An intensive and co-ordinated intervention of government and NGOs in transforming the small business sector into the real engine of growth of the economy is imperative. The study also attempted to predict firm performance holding EO + EO + INNO as predictor variables. Multi linear regression and multinomial logistic regression analysis however did not yield significant predictions of performance of SSAEs. This outcome provides a launch pad for further research into the proposed model in different settings because this study was mainly exploratory and executed in a rural and agricultural environments. Notwithstanding, the study made important contributions to the literature. It showed that it was possible to integrate EO + MO + INNO (previously viewed by many authors as exclusive constructs) into a single business model for the synergic enhancement of small business performance. It is hoped this would stimulate economic growth and development especially in developing countries.

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the 19th century, farming in South Africa included vibrant small scale farms that were market responsive and competitive. Legislation enacted in the early 20th century adversely affected these farmers while supporting the development of large commercial farmers. The extensive government support for the White farmers was seen as a mode of increasing national output as well as creating food self-sufficiency, but at the same time, this decreased food security for the Black population. Major changes in the South African government in 1994 attempted to address these inequalities, amongst other, by supporting small-scale farmers. However, the gap between White and Black producers has been closing very slowly. Small-scale farming faced a wide range of enterprise development challenges. As a response to these challenges, the Government enacted the New Co-operative Act No.14 of 2005 to promote sustainable small business development by introducing the provision of incentives for agricultural co-operatives. This study has sought to determine the challenges and opportunities that are encountered in sustaining enterprise development and has used the Matabane Secondary Agricultural Co-operative (MSAC) as a case study. The goal is to develop strategies which can minimise the challenges and exploit the opportunities that will enable MSAC to realise its ultimate goal of improving livelihoods and reducing poverty. A review of current literature provided the secondary data for the study. The literature indicated the importance of social and physical capital in the sustainability of enterprise development. Social capital, in the context of sustainability of livelihoods, is defined as networks with shared norms, values and understandings that facilitate co-operation within the group. It can also be seen as the ability of the co-operative or group to secure benefits through membership in networks and other social structures (Finkelstein et al., 2007, Porters, 2000). Physical capital refers to any non-human asset made by humans and then used in the production process (Finkelstein et al, 2007, Porters, 2000). Primary data was collected using structured questionnaires delivered to 37 members of the MSAC. Thirty one members responded and were interviewed personally by the researcher. The questions were designed to investigate the challenges and opportunities faced by members and how they relate to social and physical capital. The results were analysed quantitatively using both descriptive and chi-squared statistical analysis. The results reflect the challenges and opportunities for enterprise development as perceived by co-operative members. The analysis explored this in terms of social and physical capital. The predominant challenges described were lack of access to finance and lack of mechanisation. The greatest opportunities seen were related to the bonds, bridges and linkages formed by co-operative members. Based on the assessment of the study, several recommendations were made. The introduction of a Co-operative Development Fund (CDF) would support and strengthen the co-operative financially, addressing both the issues of lack of access to finance and lack of mechanisation. On-site training programmes would enhance the members’ ability to participate in the decision making process of the co-operative and better manage their operations. The study has further shown that a lack of, or limited intra-governmental co-ordination proved to be one of the major challenging factors. It would be advantageous to organise an intergovernmental information service whose purpose would be to co-ordinate activities and pool resources of different agencies in their efforts to achieve common goals.