Introduction
In the past decade farm families increasingly have diversified their sources of income. They do so to maintain farm household incomes, provide for retirement, and in some cases to defend farm equity and the possibility of family succession. There has been much popular and expert attention devoted to farm diversification, from new sheep and cattle breeds to dairying, or even ostriches, from kiwifruit to farm forestry. Farm households are also involved widely in off-farm employment.
As well, there has been a surge in alternative entrepreneurial activities on farms. Some are new businesses that are integrated with existing or changed forms of land use. Others have little or no connection with basic land uses. Contemporary farm households are marked by their multiple economic activity.
This study of alternative farm enterprises sought to examine:
- the character of alternative farm enterprises,
- the significance of alternative enterprises to the farm and family finances,
- the significance of on-farm enterprises to the individuals most closely involved and the family members generally,
- the structure of on-farm enterprises, including ownership, and interrelationships with farm business structure;
- the relationships between on-farm enterprises and the local community, the labour market, financial services, and other industry sectors, such as tourism.
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