Chayanov Chapter 4- WHARTON

In Chapter 4, I found the "Account of the Family Labor Force and Its Consumer Demands" section very thought-provoking. The following quotes were particularly interesting to me:

"The farm family is the primary initial quantity in constructing the farm unit," (128),

"...the volume of economic work and the mechanism for constituting the farm derive predominantly from the family, taking into account all other elements of the economic circumstances," (128),

And then, specifically pertaining to families in proximity of an urban area:

"An increase in these rates (referring to personal needs) depends not only on increased incomes and the larger budget which follows but also on an expansion of the demands themselves due to elements of higher urban culture that penetrate into the countryside," (130),

"As we see, in areas of commodity farming, and especially in areas of crafts and trades, under pressure of new urban habits and a range of new urban demands that penetrate the foundations of country life the structure of consumption and its level are subject to very considerable changes," (131).

It is clear from the above quotes that the economic circumstances of the farm rely on the demands and hard work of the family unit. However, Chayanov repeatedly mentions that economic demands are influenced by urban culture penetrating into peasant life in farming areas in proximity to cities. I wonder, what exactly are these demands? Outside of a greater tendency to produce crops for export to the city in order to turn a profit, how does proximity to a urban area affect the dynamics of a peasant farm? If one is born on a peasant farm, must he remain a peasant farmer throughout his life? Or was there potential for mobility to an urban center? If the cost of running a farm increased when in proximity to an urban area, what made living near a city a lucrative and desirable lifestyle? How much mobility was there within the farming class, not just in terms of peasants moving into urban areas and giving up their agricultural pursuits, but also in terms of peasants moving to different areas of the countryside in order to be more successful? Essentially, if you were born a peasant farmer, did that imply that you remained in basically the same lifestyle and economic situation forever? Or were there examples of lifestyle changes based on personal or economic interests? Also, slightly off-topic, but who is it that makes the decisions within the peasant farm family unit?