THE NONRESIDENT FARMER IN THE NEW RURAL SOLIETY

An exploratory study employing census and other data to determine the extent, trends and characteristics of nonresident farming in the US. States where number of absentee farmers increased are sparsely settled and have few large cities, but are characterized by highly mechanized, specialized, commercialized agriculture. Because of increasing part-time and residential farming, trends are difficult to determine, but it is probable that rate of absentee farming is increasing. The principal areas of nonresident farming are: (1) citrus counties of south Fla.; (2) cotton and livestock counties in Texas; (3) winter wheat area around the Okla. Panhandle; (4) 'livestock, part-time and residential' counties of southern Utah. Farm characteristics can be classed by (1) size of farm, (2) tenure of operator, (3) type of farm, (4) economic class of farm. Farm acreage is large and in the upper economic range for nonresident farms, and tends to have +r with specialization and mechanization. If the trend for farm operators and other agricultural workers to live in towns and nonfarmers to live in rural areas continues, it will be necessary to redefine rural sociology in that rural can hardly be considered to refer to a specific occupation or a way of life different from that found in the cities. B. Robinson.