Abstract
According to Mackenzie and Pate (2000), a group of professional writers created a network of workshops to share ideas and research methods that would help advance the academic community. Each year the Society for Case Research (SCR) does something similar, but it is related to case studies. The workshops attended by professors learning case research methodology. The primary concern of the new instructors is how one conducts research and how to write compelling case studies. Each of these professors is cognizant of the fact that their case study research reviewed by one of the SCR journals: the Business Case Journal, the Journal of Case Studies and the Journal of Critical Incidents. Each participant gave positive feedback on the effectiveness of the workshops not only to hone their craft but to develop the ability to withstand the rigors of the review process. Why is this necessary? Why are case studies relevant? Case studies help the professor who has been out of school for a while to keep their writing skills up to par, and it helps them to build their vita while providing real life experiences and solutions to their students.

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Business Problem Statement
Since 1930, there has been a rapid decline in sustainable agriculture (Vallianatos, 2012). Farm sustainability analysis weights farms capital productivity ratio is at 0.15 while gross value of family income on farm is 0.09 (Dabkiene, 2015). I will be using the qualitative approach, which will inform and explore options for viable business model strategies in the sustainability sector of farming. The keywords included in the study are sustainability, productivity, market share, equity in agribusiness, and innovation. The general business problem is that some owners who own small-scale farms located in the U.S. have a limited potential to compete in the agricultural industry, which results in loss of market share for the business. The specific business problem is that some leaders of farms within the agricultural industry in the U.S. lack innovative operational strategies to regain market share lost due to the inability to compete effectively.

Purpose of Study
The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore operational strategies for leaders of small-scale farms in the agricultural industry in the U.S. to sustain operations. The targeted population will consist of owners of four small-scale farms located in the U.S. The implication for positive social change includes the potential to increase the sustainability of small-scale farms in the agricultural industry.

Theoretical/Conceptual Framework Overview
To address the specific aims and objectives of the study, a qualititative research method will be used in the form of interviews. The qualititative method will utilize a cross-sectional section of patients. The cross-sectional survey design is underpinned by the philosophical perspective of objectivism and positivism where reality is viewed as external to the researcher and must be investigated through the use of deductive processes and empirical observations. Cross-sectional studies differ from cohort and case-controlled studies because the researcher survey all subjects at the same time to measure the prevalence of a certain problem (in this case, accessibility of making appointments at this KACC; Magnus, 2012). The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore operational strategies for leaders of small-scale farms in the agricultural industry in the U.S. to sustain operations. The targeted population will consist of owners of four small-scale farms located in the U.S. The implication for positive social change includes the potential to increase the sustainability of small-scale farms in the agricultural industry.

Cross-sectional study designs allow the researcher to measure multiple outcomes simultaneously (Thurston, 2014), in this case the experiences of small-scale farmers. They are also known as snapshot studies because they investigate the defined population at a specific point in time (Wilson and Mabhala, 2008). Cross-sectional study designs are useful for measuring the true burden of a problem and discovering ways to address that problem (Kaura, 2013). Hence, this design provides useful information for allocation of the resources and in planning of sustainability programs (Kaura, 2013).

A cross-sectional survey design is an efficient approach and one of the most commonly used relevant research’s tools for collecting data, gathering information about farming practices, and measuring the usefuleness of certain tools (such as operational strategies) (Blair etal, 2013; Cohen, 2006). Cross-sectional study designs are frequently conducted to estimate the prevalence of the outcome of interest for a given population for the purposes of increasing the sustainability of small-scale farms in the agricultural industry, which are consistant with the goal of the this study (Hemed and Tanzania, 2015; Levin 2006).

Literature Review
As reported at the 2002 United Nations Conference on Environment Development, small-scale, resource poor farmers need to develop sustainable farming practices in order to survive. As noted by the United Nations (FAO, 1996) many small-scale farmers are not being reached by agricultural extension. The FAO also reports that of the world’s farmers nearly 75% are small-scale farmers with few resources and thus those that struggle with sustainability. This report also notes that only one out of seven farmers is reached by extension services.

The aim of this study is to explore operational strategies for leaders of small-scale farms in the agricultural industry in the U.S. to sustain operations. The aim is also to determine how small-scale farmers are taking advantage of sustainability projects put forth by international agricultural development organizations.

According to the literature international agricultural research and extension is not meeting the needs of small-scale farmers who make up most of the world’s farms. According to the 1999 World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development while many of the world’s organizations are striving to develop programs that ensure the productivity and sustainability of these small-scale farmers, current programs are falling short. As noted by Whyte (2011) to meet the needs of today’s growing population we must meet the needs of over one million small-scale, resource poor farmers.

With this aim a cross-sectional survey design was chosen as an efficient approach for collecting data, gathering information about farming practices, and measuring the usefuleness of certain tools (such as operational strategies) (Blair etal, 2013; Cohen, 2006). Cross-sectional study designs are frequently conducted to estimate the prevalence of the outcome of interest for a given population for the purposes of increasing the sustainability of small-scale farms in the agricultural industry, which are consistant with the goal of the this study (Hemed and Tanzania, 2015; Levin 2006).

Research Questions
1. What operational strategies do leaders of small-scale farms in the agricultural industry in the U.S. use to sustain operations?
2. How will leaders implement these operational strategies in their small-scale farms?
3. What is that percentage of success that the operational strategies will create sustainability to small farms?
4. What are the results of data collected about operational strategies in small-scale farms within the past 25 years?

Significance of Study/Summary
The general business problem is that some owners who own small-scale farms located in the U.S. have a limited potential to compete in the agricultural industry, which results in loss of market share for the business. The specific business problem is that some leaders of farms within the agricultural industry in the U.S. lack innovative operational strategies to regain market share lost due to the inability to compete effectively. It is clear that sustainability programs put in place by international agricultural research and extension programs are not meeting the needs of small-scale farmers who make up most of the world’s farms. So the question is what operational strategies are small-scale famers using and how effective are they? That is, what are the gaps in sustainability and how can they be filled by agricultural programs meant to sustain farmers and ensure global food needs can be met.

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