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interacting with on a research basis. When the Sondea was initially conducted, the team was uncertain about specific criteria distinguishing farms by scale in the region. Team members agreed to avoid contacting farms having large acreages as represented on plot maps, farms with numerous modern tobacco bulbk_arns, farms with large grain storage.bins, large mechanical equipment and irrigation rigs and farms which appeared to be .f the *hobby" type. Today, any or all of the following "criteria exclude a farm operation from consideration as FSR/E "clientele": tobacco acreage exceeding 10 acres, peanut acreage exceeding 15 acres-, total acreage farmed exceeding 40 acres, gross income exceeding $40,090 annually. In general, the team additionally avoids cattle producers with herds exceeding 20 head, grain producers capable of irrigating hundreds of acres, farmers with sizable acreages of specialty crops like watermelons and vegetables,' "hobby farps" and owners of small Iranchettes." In 1984, an estimated 6 00 arm households in Suwannee and Columbia counties could-bincluded in the FSR/E clientele.
The Clientele
The characteristics descriptive of the clientele group in general include these:
-households whose members would prefer to farm full-time but commonly must work off-farm to meet the needs of the family, which are primary;
--limited management ability due to shortage of time or other factors.
-access to capital and specifically capital flow is limiting.
-rely upon family labor in many instances, and wives are typically responsible for much of the farm work, especially record-keeping;
-view of farming dwells on the importance of the land (identity with and ownership of it) and of farming as a preferred lifestyle, rather than the farm as a business solely;
-while profit motivated, often choose strategies designed to assure maintenance of this lifestyle, ie. minimize risk of lossing farm, rather than maximize profit;
-make use of reciprocal exchanges with kin and neighbors;
-tend to operate mixed crop/livestock systems to create