Different farming methods: But no solution to improve rural sustainability and to save Australia's family farm

The title of the book is 'Environmental Change and Sustainability'. Having had an interest in the sustainability of the Australian environment as well as in the Australian family farm, it did not take long to expand on some ideas that had been discussed in a journal article regarding cross-boundary-farming (Muenstermann, 2009). Cross-boundary farming is embedded in the common property resources system. This is a literature review regarding four different farming methods in Australia, i.e. family farming, co-operative and corporate farming, with special emphasis on farming using the common property resources system. Some thought will be given to the opportunities these different methods can offer the small family farm. This chapter also looks at the results of a forum regarding cross-boundary farming, which was held in 2007, and at the attitudes of farming families in relation to their sustainability as a production unit, expressed at a meeting which was held in 2012l Both events took place in the regional city of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. The city has a population of 63,000 and is surrounded by farms, many are for sale, which provides an indication that change is necessary.