Defining a Critical Mass Threshold for Agricultural Support Services

Utilizing four counties in western North Carolina as a study area, this paper examines the existence of a critical mass threshold in agricultural production below which crucial support services could be expected to close down or relocate outside the region. Twenty-two key stakeholder interviews suggest that for most support service businesses, no such critical mass threshold exists at the regional level. For those support service types most at-risk, an IMPLAN model was utilized to determine the economic impact to the region.