Small Farms - Valued contributions to healthy rural communities

Australia's farming history has seen a shift from a countryside once scattered primarily with traditional family farms, to a diverse landscape where large farms operate next door to rural residential properties and small farms. This project aims to increase national understanding of the contribution that small farms make to rural communities. The diverse nature of small farms can mean that they make a substantial contribution to rural communities and way of life in many parts of Australia. This study compiles available information on the value of small farms to rural communities. And, for the first time, it provides a broad picture of their overall worth in social, economic and environmental terms. Government organisations will benefit from these findings as input for policy and program development.