Objective/Meaning  Realizing the revitalization of small farmers is an important epoch proposition for the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy. An in-depth analysis of the agricultural production characteristics and practical difficulties of small farmers will help to better implement and improve the policies of small farmers.

  Methods/Procedures  By using the qualitative research method, the current production characteristics of small farmers were firstly analyzed from the level of economic rationality and social rationality to understand their deep production logic. Secondly, the practical difficulties faced by small farmers were analyzed from the perspective of heterogeneity of farmers. Finally, the basic strategies of the connection between small farmers and modern agriculture were put forward.

  Results/Conclusions  The results showed that based on the economic rationality and social rationality, small farmers had the production logic of production link outsourcing, intergenerational family division of labor and part-time employment. Although the heterogeneity of small farmers made them face different difficulties in agricultural production, they were generally faced with the problems such as the quality and safety of agricultural products, environmental problem, and different “small production and large market” problem and the problems of cost, capital and agricultural investment, etc. Therefore, the organic connection between small farmers and modern agriculture could be achieved by integrating the “fragmented” agricultural social services, improving the quality of agricultural infrastructure, cultivating the rural talents, improving the organization degree of farmers, and accurately identifying the production needs of different types of small farmers.