The Changing Scale of Livestock Production in and around Corn Belt Metropolitan Areas, 1978-97

This research examines changes in four sectors of livestock production, pork, dairy, fed cattle, and beef cows, from 1978 to 1997 by county metropolitan character. Relative changes in the amount of production and the number of producers in a county as well as changes in the average scale of producti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Growth and change 2002, Vol.33 (1), p.115-132
Main Authors: Sharp, Jeff S., Roe, Brian, Irwin, Elena G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Counties
Industrialization
Livestock production
Maize
Metropolitan areas
Pork
Regional studies
U.S.A
Urban studies
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Summary:This research examines changes in four sectors of livestock production, pork, dairy, fed cattle, and beef cows, from 1978 to 1997 by county metropolitan character. Relative changes in the amount of production and the number of producers in a county as well as changes in the average scale of production are examined. The purpose is to identify whether structural differences have emerged between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan Corn Belt counties as a result of industrialization in livestock production. The analysis identifies a divergence in the amount and scale of pork production in metro versus nonmetro regions from 1987 to 1997, coinciding with a period of substantial industrialization in that sector. Little divergence is identified in the scale of dairy, fed cattle, and beef cows operations during the same time period. The findings have implications for farmland preservation and agricultural viability in exurban regions of the Corn Belt.
ISSN:0017-4815
1468-2257
DOI:10.1111/0017-4815.00182