About Us
History and Philosophy
Small Farm Today® was founded by a small farmer in central Missouri in 1984, and is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of small farming, rural living, sustainability, community, and agripreneurship. It is published on a farm, by a farmer, for farmers. Most of our readers are full- or part-time small family farmers, and many are using alternatives, such as growing high-value crops, raising unusual livestock, and direct marketing their products to bring in more income. Readers are extremely loyal—most read the magazine from cover to cover, including advertising, and pass the magazine along to neighbors, friends, and relatives.
Importance and Definition of Small Farms
Small Farm Today® defines a small farm as a farm that is 179 acres or less in size, or earns $50,000 or less in gross income per year. This definition is based on data from the Bureau of Census and USDA Census (1987-1997), results of the Small Farm Today® magazine survey of readers (1993-1998), and data from the New Farm Committee of the University of Missouri and Lincoln University (1989).
| Number | % of Total | $ (billions) | % of Total | ||
| Small Farms | 1,513,018 | 79.1% | 52.369 | 26.6% | |
| All Other Farms | 398,841 | 20.9% | 144.496 | 73.4% | |
| Total | 1,911,859 | 100.0% | 196.865 | 100.0% | |
*Due to the method of averaging income brackets, gross income may be slightly skewed in favor of All Other Farms.
Circulation and Printing
Originally a 12-page newsletter, started in 1984 as Missouri Farm with 40 subscribers, the publication soon grew into a full-size magazine. In 1992, we became nationally known as Small Farm Today®, and is a bimonthly (six issues per year) publication with 64+ pages. Circulation: 7,000 copies printed / 15,600 readers (including paid subscribers, newsstand sales, and controlled circulation). The format is three columns and each column measures 2-1/4” wide. Offset printing is used on non-glossy paper stock using soy ink and the magazines are saddle stitched.
Other Activities
We sponsor the National Small Farm Trade Show & Conference™ in Columbia, Missouri, each November. This is the largest annual small farm show in the United States!
Staff
| Publisher/Editor/Farmer: | Ronald E. Macher |
| Managing Editor: | Paul Berg |
| Business Manager: | Joanne Macher |
| Webmaster/Editorial Assistant: | Rebecca DeCourley |
| Contributing Columnists: |
Kelly Klober—Small Acreage Management John Ikerd—Sustaining People Through Ag |
| Advertising Sales: | Jeff Macher |