small farm more viable as a source of livelihood for rural people. ii/

The central activity of the project was a series of task forces com-

prised of over 70 qualified persons from farming, banking, government

agencies, the academic ocamunity, the California Cooperative Extension

Service, community organizations, the legislature, labor and other

fields. The findings of the various task forces have been compiled

in a final report, which attempts to survey comprehensively certain

problems of small farm agriculture in California. 2/

 It is worth noting that the Small Farm Viability Project has

ended up unexpectedly optimistic about the essential viability of

small farms when they are well structured and managed, and when

public policy at least gives them a fair shake vis-a-vis their larger

competitors.

Rural Venture

 This project represents a major non-agribusiness corporation's

effort to serve small farmers through the development of computer

assisted small farm management packages.

 The Control Data Corporation (CDC) is working with the University

of Minnesota to develop and field test the necessary data bases for

various small farm enterprise combinations in the upper midwest region.


i-/ William E. Myers, "Comments on Small Farm Research: California's
 Small Farm Viability Project," in U.S. Department of Agriculture,
 Small Farm Issues: Proceedings of the ESCS Small-Farm Workshop,
 May 1978, ESCS-60, Washington, D.C. (July 1979).

 /The Family Farm in California: Report of the Small Farm Viability
 Project, State CETA Office, 800 Capitol Mall, MIC 77, Sacramento,
 California (November 1977).