Paths to agriculture : exploring the motivations behind choosing a farming lifestyle
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Small-acreage farming is increasingly relevant as regions undergo urbanization and demographic shifts, creating significant barriers for new farmers. Despite these economic challenges, this study explores the deeper, often existential motivations that drive individuals to pursue commercial farming in Yavapai County, Arizona. Employing Heideggerian phenomenology, this qualitative research investigates how first-generation small-acreage farmers experience and interpret their roles and decisions. Data was gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted in farmers' agricultural settings, supplemented by follow-up discussions via Zoom. Participants included three purposively selected first-generation small-acreage commercial farmers, two met the USDA definition for beginning farmers (farming for ten years or fewer). Data analysis followed phenomenological methodology, identifying significant statements and clustering these into meaning units to represent core aspects of participants' lived experiences. The study revealed ten primary meaning units: resilience in the face of adversity; constant financial uncertainty; providing food as a moral imperative; the all-consuming nature of farming; meaningful solitude in daily tasks; administrative obligations; a strong sense of identity and belonging; a stewardship-driven connection to the land; isolation and loneliness as social costs; and hope for legacy and future generations. Findings indicate that personal fulfillment, community care, environmental stewardship, and existential purpose outweigh economic motivations, underscoring farming as an identity-defining and intrinsically rewarding pursuit. This research contributes essential insights for agricultural educators, policymakers, and support organizations to design responsive programs that address new and beginning farmers' existential realities and intrinsic motivations to foster long-term agricultural sustainability and community resilience.
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M.S.