The Mid-Michigan local food system harbors a wide variety of local farms ranging from new to long established operations. Market access plays a key role in the sustained success of these farms, particularly emerging farmers. The study examines the personal networks of Mid-Michigan’s emerging farmers and identify characteristics of farmers with differing backgrounds as they relate to their market access decisions. The study examines the social ties among farmers through the use of network analysis and measures of social connectedness. Study findings yield insights into the relationship between social networks and market access among emerging farmers in Mid-Michigan, and the factors contributing to the sustainability of the farmers’ operations. Through analysis and comparison of long-term indicators of likely success, entrepreneurial farming aspects of the incubator farm program’s participants emerge. Farmers identify what it means to know the ideal market facilitators to enter the local food economy. The study then examines what that means for their individualized definition of success and what these networks represent to each individual farmer, farmer groups, and the incubator program as a whole.
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