The objective of this work was to study the aspects of agricultural exploration of settled families in two rural villages, Lageado and Roseira, located in Rio Negro, Paraná State, southern Brazil. The rural villages were chosen for their distinct characteristics of proximity to urban areas, soil and topography. The analyses were undertaken considering the socioeconomic survey of the family settlement, indicators of the economical development applied to the unit of family production and the agricultural potential of the land. The results evidenced that: the agricultural explorations are basically the same in the two rural villages; the available labor is not used fully and could be used in more intensive exploration; the cultivation of medicinal plants increased agricultural income; the manner and size of explorations do not allow for a comparison of the economical results with the agricultural potential of the land.
settlement; economic analysis; rural development