Metropolitan influence on United States farmland use and capital intensivity

Agricultural organization varies by proximity to metropolitan areas & level of urbanization. Using agricultural censuses for 1950, 1959, 1969, & 1974 for the conterminous United States, 2 indicators of the structure of agriculture are applied: (1) per acre value of farm products sold is seen as a measure of land use intensivity, & (2) per acre value of land & building is used as a measure of capital intensivity. Gradients of these 2 variables clearly support the hypothesis that metropolitan centers exert an influence on the way in which agricultural activities are organized. More centrally located areas are more likely to be characterized by capital intensive modes of production & by highly intensive land use. Reasons for this include the greater competition for land in densely populated areas, the development of advanced technology in metropolitan centers & the diffusion of this technology along with associated requirements for capital inputs, & the market demands of nearby urban areas. 3 Tables. Modified Author Conclusion.