thought on a "big" farm, any operation that has a full-time employee. (Partnerships don't count here as each partner has equity.) Reason = owner and employee (or employeeS) couldl split operation and farm on their own. That type of consolidation is really changing -- and has been changing -- our rural landscape. Not sure efficiencies of scale offset the downside. Take a more obvious example, suppose one guy or gal farms 10,000 acres, but has 4 full time employees Why not 5 farm 2,000 acres, or 10 1,000 acres.  Or, instead of an outfit with 2000 sows, how about 10 with 200 sows. I know I am being nostalgic.