The Operation of Social Capital and Co-Production in Rural Economic Development: The Case of a Kansas Farm Winery

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of a study on the operation of social capital and co-production in a rural vineyard in the state of Kansas in the Midwestern United States. Findings suggest that consumers' social networks and underlying social capital may contribute to both willingness to participate in planting events and satisfaction with attendant outcomes. Less important were consumers' own lifestyles and interests. Consumers' co-production in this study was motivated by noneconomic motives including a desire for sociability, connectedness and community- and civic-mindedness.