Aging farmers an issue

THE AG SIDE

The average age of the American farmer is 57.5 years old, and that number is continuing to increase. The producers that are integral to agricultural production in the U.S. are aging, and there are fewer young people stepping in to take their place. Producers 35 or younger represent only 9 percent of the total in the United States. As such, it is important to continue to get youth interested in farming and ranching, to preserve the tradition of producing high quality food and fiber.

One of the key obstacles that can prevent young people from entering into farming and ranching pursuits is the high costs of starting an agricultural business. Between increased land prices, high costs for fuel and other necessities, it can be very difficult to attain the capital that is necessary to facilitate an effective business. The difficulty in finding affordable, quality land is the number 1 barrier that prevents many first-generation farmers from getting started. Increased demand for land from entities outside of farming and ranching has driven prices to astronomical levels making it difficult to reasonably pursue land.

Another factor raising the average age of farmers is the increase in young people who come from a farming tradition, choosing to work outside of that field. Young people are increasingly picking careers with less labor and stress than is present in farming and ranching. Though they may have the ability to more easily get started, due to family resources, they simply do not wish to continue the farming or ranching lifestyle that presents challenges from labor, weather dependence, and market fluctuations.

It is important to encourage our young people to pursue farming and ranching as a career option. The world population continues to increase. It is expected that the population will increase by about 2 billion people by 2050. This coupled with the fact that farmland numbers continue to decrease due to urbanization, presents a challenge that the younger generation of producers will have to combat in order to maintain the food security that we currently maintain in this country.