BUILDING A
FUTURE WITHFARMERS
Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers anda National Strategy to Help Them Succeed

BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS:
Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers anda National Strategy to Help Them Succeed
NOVEMBER 2011
Lead Author
Lindsey Lusher Shute, National Young Farmers’ Coalition, NY
Contributing Authors
Avery Anderson, Quivira Coalition, NM
Hannah Bernhardt, The Greenhorns, NY
Tierney Creech, Washington Young Farmers’ Coalition, WA
Severine vT Fleming, The Greenhorns, NY
Emily Oakley, Three Springs Farm, OK
Benjamin Shute, Hearty Roots Community Farm, NY
Data Analysis
Barbara Jackson, Searchlight Research
Project Sponsors
Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative, Farmers Advocating for Farmers Fund
The Lillian Goldman Charitable Trust
DesignSandy Zimmerman / sandyzimmerman.com
Cover Photo
Severine vT Fleming

CONTENTS
03

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY06

INTRODUCTION
Forward11
THE REPORTSurvey Design
Survey Participants

16
THE RESULTS
What’s Working
What’s Not Working

30
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONSHow Congress and the President Can Help Young Farmers
How States Can Help Young Farmers
How You & Your Community Can Help Young Farmers

40
APPENDIX
Detailed Farmer Survey Responses

Acknowledgements
This report was made possible with the help of many hands.
We thank Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative, Farmers Advocating
for Farmers Fund and the Lillian Goldman Trust for their generous
support of the National Young Farmers’ Coalition and the creationof this report.
We also thank Barbara Jackson of Searchlight Research for her
patience and generous help in data analysis, as well as Kathy Ruhf
and Aimee Witteman for their guidance.
Thank you to Leanna Mulvihill and Dana Wolfson, our wonderfulinterns, who put in many hours contacting hundreds oforganizations and farmers from coast to coast, and the entire
board of the National Young Farmers’ Coalition: Avery Anderson,
Tierney Creech, Severine vT Fleming, Michelle Hughes,
Casey Knapp, Emily Oakley, Benjamin Shute and Sean Stanton.
Lastly, to our fellow farmers, thank you for your participation andeagerness to help in building a strong future for agriculture in the
United States.

QUINCY FARM

! Roxbury Farm, New YorkEXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe National
Young Farmers’
Coalition’s issues
and mission
respond to theneeds of young,first-career
farmers in rural
America.

Our Purpose
The National Young Farmers’ Coalition (NYFC) was formed by and forthe next generation of American family farmers. NYFC’s issues andmission are directly informed by the needs of young, first-career
farmers in rural America. To that end, drawing on a survey of over 1,000
farmers in our national network, we present a vision of policy change
and achievable recommendations that will help the next generation ofAmerican farmers thrive.

Beginning Farmers Struggle to Succeed
While the USDA acknowledges the need for hundreds of thousands of
new and beginning farmers in the United States, current federal and state
agricultural policies are not doing nearly enough to provide support andopportunity to this critical group. Indeed, in many cases, conflicting policies
erect barriers for young people striving to build their own farm businesses.
Farming is a vital and in-demand career, and is essential to our nation’s
health, traditions and security. With almost one-quarter of all farmers
expected to retire in the next twenty years, greater focus, creativity andresources are required to keep America farming. Government, fromlocal towns to Congress, must play a part. Through policy, programs andzoning, government can be instrumental in bringing young people backto the farm.
MAJOR OBSTACLES FOR BEGINNING FARMERS IN THE US
CAPITAL
Farmers need better access to capital, credit and small operatingloans. These are critical for business start-up and expansion.
LAND
Farmers have great difficulty finding affordable land to purchase orlandowners willing to make long-term lease agreements.
HEALTH CARE
Health care is unaffordable, yet absolutely necessary, for beginning
farmers.

4 BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed

MAJOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE US TO HELP BEGINNING FARMERSFederal Opportunities
The upcoming revision of the 2012 Farm Bill and the ongoing agriculturalfunding debate provide an opportunity for citizens and elected representatives
to claim space on the national agenda for young and beginning farmers. Specificrecommendations include:
CONTINUE AND IMPROVEON CREDIT AND SAVINGSOPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG
AND BEGINNING FARMERS
Offer micro-lending programs and loan
pre-approval for beginning farmers;
provide training for FSA agents towork with beginning, diversified andorganic farmers more effectively; fundthe Beginning Farmer and Rancher
Individual Development Accounts (IDA)
Pilot Program.
HELP ADDRESS LAND ACCESSAND AFFORDABILITY ISSUES
Offer tax credits for leasing or selling
land to a beginning farmer; prioritize
affordability within the Farm andRanch Lands Protection Program(FRPP); continue and encourage
expansion of the Transition Incentives
Program (TIP).

EXPAND FARMER TRAINING AND
EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
Reinstate funding for the National
Sustainable Agriculture Information
Service (ATTRA), the mostcomprehensive database of farm
apprenticeships and internships in the
country; reauthorize and fully fundthe Beginning Farmer and Rancher
Development Program (BFRDP).
DON’T SHORTCHANGECONSERVATION PROGRAMS
Restore funding to the Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
that provides cost sharing for on-farm
improvements that enable organic andsustainable practices. EQIP projects
help beginning farmers make critical
capital improvements that they may
not otherwise be able to afford.

State & Local Opportunities
To ensure that we have successful farms in our own regions, states and communities
must also enact programs and policies to help beginning farmers thrive.
STATES CAN REVISE LAWS TO:
w Legalize and encourage apprenticeship programs
w Provide new farmer grants and opportunities for health care for small businesses
w Offer student loan forgivenessw Promote affordability protections and tax incentives for protection of farmland
COMMUNITIES CAN LEAD BY:
w Expanding market opportunities
w Revising zoning to protect farmland from developmentw Supporting local farms through purchasing choices

www.youngfarmers.org 5

JASON HOUSTON! North Plain Farm, Massachusetts

6 A TOUGH ROW TO HOE: CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUNG, AMERICAN FARMERS AND A NATIONAL STRATEGY TO HELP THEM SUCCEEDINTRODUCTION

ForwardAS YOUNG FARMERS, WE ARE DEDICATING OUR LIVES to building aprosperous agricultural sector. We are counting on farming to support
ourselves, but our communities and our nation are counting on us toinvigorate rural communities, to produce a healthy food supply, and toprotect water, air and soil.
Because the success of young farmers and our nation are intertwined,
both must share the responsibility to ensure that hard working, aspiring
farmers have the opportunities they need to get started and to thrive. In
many parts of the country, young farmers like us are struggling to makeends meet because of barriers we as society can anticipate and overcome.
A shift in our current agricultural policy could both eliminate some ofthese stumbling blocks, and help to carve a path to success for young
people who are building new farm businesses.
In this report, the National Young Farmers’ Coalition presents a vision
for appropriate policy change and other avenues for support that will
help fulfill our vision for a future with numerous, diversified, sustainablefamily farms. On the federal level, USDA programs can be expanded andimproved to work better for beginners. In our states and communities,
we can protect affordable farmland, support direct marketing andvalue-added production through regulation and grants, and enact new
programs and tax incentives that help beginning farmers access land andcapital. As individuals, both farmers and consumers can take action close
to home to support one another’s success.

JORDAN SCHMIDTThe agenda set forth here is grounded in an assessment of our national
network of young and beginning farmers, whose perspectives are informedby the work we do every day in our fields, pastures, and greenhouses. The
policy issues and recommendations do not comprehensively cover all of
the needs of individual farmers in our broad network. Instead, we focus on
those issues that are most common, and of most critical importance, to ourconstituency: the next generation of American farmers.

Hearty Roots Farm, New Yorkwww.youngfarmers.org 7

INTRODUCTION

NYFC is:
BUILDING a networkof regional young
farmers’ coalitions.

The National Young Farmers’ Coalition
The National Young Farmers’ Coalition (NYFC) was formed by and for the
next generation of American family farmers. Our mission is to ensure
the success of today’s young and beginning farmers and that of future
generations of farmers.

1a/1b) NYFC is helping to facilitate
the development of and connections
among regional young farmers groups.
The Washington Young Farmers’
Coalition (pictured) is one of threerecently formed state groups.

PROVIDING practicaland technical assistanceto young farmers.
2) NYFC encourages farmer-to-farmer
learning through the Farm Hack
project. Here, two farmers and anengineering student test a new idea
for a self-flushing irrigation valve at
the Farm Hack @ MIT event.

1a

ADVOCATING for
policies that will enable
young farmers to thrive.

1b

2

3

8 BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed

TIENEY CREECH (1A, 1B); KATE MYTTY (2); NSAC (3)3) NYFC helped to organize abeginning farmer fly-in to the nation’s
capital with the National Sustainable
Agriculture Coalition.

American Agriculture Faces a Crisis of Attrition

WHAT’S YOUNG?

America’s farmers, the farms they manage and the foods they produce areat a crossroads. For the past century, the total number of American farmers
has steadily declined—from over six million farmers in 1910 to just over two
million farmers in 2007. For each farmer under 35 there are 6 over 65,2 and theaverage age of farmers is 57.3 It is estimated that between now and the year
2030, half a million (one-quarter) of American farmers will retire.4
When our nation loses family farms, we all suffer economic, environmental
and social harm. In agricultural areas, fewer farmers may mean afurther consolidation of farmland, the decline of communities and theireconomies;5 and in suburban areas and the rural areas just beyond, thistrend may contribute to the transition away from working farms into
estates or residential developments.6 In cities, fewer farms regionally may
diminish access to fresh, locally grown food.

In the US today, for eachfarmer under 35, there are
six over 65.1 The National
Young Farmers’ Coalition is
working to bring down the
average age of the American
farmer, currently 57 years
old, by inspiring andenabling more young people
to farm. We welcome all
farmers and citizens to join
us in this goal.

Protecting the nation’s farms and farmland is an issue of national
consequence. The success of beginning farmers today will determine
the quality of food we eat, the future of our rural landscapes and thelongevity of our farming traditions.
PERCENTAGE OF FARMERS OVER 65
AND BETWEEN THE AGES OF 25-35 , 1890–2007 (USDA)

35%30%
Farmers, 65+
25%
Farmers, 25-35

20%
15%
10%

2007

2002

1992

1987

1982

1978

1974

1969

1964

1959

1954

1950

1945

1940

1930

1920

1910

1900

1890

5%

Demographic trends suggest that the farming population will continue todecrease: since 1950, the average age of principal farm operators has gone up,
while the number of young farmers has steadily fallen. In 2007, there were only
118,613 U.S. farmers under the age of 36, just 13 percent of the 956,318 young
people that operated farms in 1950.7,8

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural
Statistics Service, Census of Agriculture: Farmers
by Age, 2007 (Washington, DC: U.S. Departmentof Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics
Service, 2007), http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/
Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Fact_Sheets/
farmer_age.pdf (accessed May 2011).
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade andConsumer Protection, Farm Transfers in Wisconsin: A
Guide for Farmers, Fifth Edition, (Madison, WI: Wisconsin
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer
Protection, 2003), http://datcp.wi.gov/uploads/Farms/
pdf/transfer_guide.pdf. (accessed May 2011).
5. David J. Peters, Revisiting the Goldschmidt
Hypothesis: The Effect of Economic Structure on
Socioeconomic Conditions in the Rural Midwest,
Missouri Department of Economic Development,
Technical Paper. P-0702-1, (Jefferson City: Missouri
Department of Economic Development, 2002), http://
www.missourifarmersunion.org/conf03/goldschmidt03.
pdf (accessed May 2011).
6. Since 1982, 14 million acres of cropland were lost to
development in the United States. See: U.S. Departmentof Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service,
Summary Report: 2007 National Resources Inventory,(Washington, DC, and Center for Survey Statistics andMethodology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 2007),
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/NRI/2007/2007_
NRI_Summary.pdf (accessed May 2011)
7. Alan L. Olmstead and Paul W. Rhode, Farm Operatorsby age: 1890-1997, Table Da501-512 in Historical
Statistics of the Unites States, Earliest Times to thePresent: Millennial Edition, (New York: Cambridge
University Press, 2006), http://hsus.cambridge.org/
HSUSWeb/search/searchTable.do?id=Da501-512(accessed May 2011).
8. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural
Statistics Service. Census of Agriculture: Tenure andCharacteristics of Operator and Type of Operation,
1978, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007,(Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2007), http://
www.nass.usda.gov/Data_and_Statistics/index.asp(acessed May 2011).

www.youngfarmers.org 9

The dominanceof large-scale
farm enterprises
has transformed
agriculture andmade operating
and owning afamily farm far
more difficult.

A Generation Steps Up
As public awareness about food and farming has grown in recent years,
a new opportunity for reversing the trend of farm loss has arisen. The
National Young Farmers’ Coalition is witnessing an increasing numberof young people from non-farm backgrounds who are pursuing or
considering careers in agriculture, as well as a higher level of interest
among farm youth in staying on, or returning to, the family farm.
The ‘good food’ movement—the interest and enthusiasm for organic, local
and sustainably grown food now spreading across the country—is one ofmany factors bringing young people back to farming in the United States.
The young men and women pursuing agriculture today have a different
profile than generations past: they come from diverse backgrounds andexperiences, they embrace sustainable growing practices, and many did
not grow up on a family farm. Their families may have abandoned rural
areas for the city many generations ago. Pursuing a farming career is areturn to these roots.
Young people increasingly view farming as a physically engaging andfulfilling career that guarantees independence and leadership.

Great Potential, Big Challenges
Young farmers are tough, energetic and dedicated, but breaking into
farming has never been harder. In the last fifty years, the rural landscape,the farm economy, and the dominance of large farm enterprises havetransformed agriculture and made operating and owning a family farm
far more difficult. As prospective beginning farmers set out to start theirown farm businesses, they are faced with farmland that is priced manytimes beyond what they can afford, daunting start up costs, and few
lenders willing to take the risk. The interest in local foods is creating astronger market for their products, but a strong market is not enough toovercome these obstacles entirely.

WHAT’S BRINGING YOUNG PEOPLE BACK TO THE FARM?

Interest in
local andartisan foods

Environmental Outdoor &physicalawareness
activity

Marketopportunities

10 BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed

Successful
young
farmers

MICHIGAN YOUNG FARMERS’ COALITION! Michigan Young Farmers’ Coalition

THE REPORTNYFC’s survey
was designed toprovide stronger
evidence for the
many concerns
being voicedby young andbeginning farmers.

THIS REPORT AIMS TO SPOTLIGHT the experiences and needs of today’s

young and beginning farmers, and to make recommendations for how
the nation, local communities and consumers can help to nurture their
growth. Renewing the nation’s farms can only happen with cooperation
and resolve from consumers, policy makers and the farming community.

Survey Design
While the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other organizations haveused census data10 and anecdotal evidence to understand the challenges
of beginning farmers,11 none have produced a broad survey to fully
understand the issues that young farmers face in getting started in an
agricultural career. NYFC’s farmer survey was designed to provide stronger
evidence for the many concerns being voiced by young and beginning
farmers in rural areas, and to see how they varied across farm types,
geography and experience. The survey is not meant to be representative of
all young and beginning farmer needs, but as a starting point for serious
discussion of what’s working, what’s not, and what kinds of policies andprograms farmers in the beginning stages of their careers would like tosee. We based our approach on a survey instrument designed by the Drake
Agricultural Law Center for the 2010 forum, “America’s New Farmers: Policy
Innovations and Opportunities.”12

SURVEY RESPONSES BY REGIONNORTHEAST
WEST

27%

MIDWEST

30%
SOUTH

13%

12 BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed

29%

Survey Participants
Thirteen hundred people from 34 states, 81 percent of whom are farmers,
completed the survey. Many of the non-farmer respondents were aspiring
farmers or individuals who work closely with farmers in a professional
capacity. The survey was offered online and was advertised through blogs,
listserves, farmer service providers and associations, events, conferences andto individual farmers. Most of the farmer networks that were contacted aspart of the survey focus on sustainable and organic production.
Of the survey respondents who identified themselves as farmers, morethan three quarters are first generation farmers. Of the farmers whogrew up on working farms, the highest share were from the Midwest(35%). Sixty-eight percent of farmer respondents were under 35, and the
majority were between 25 and 29 years old. Most farmers had between one
and five years of experience working on farms.

STATES WITH MOST SURVEY RESPONDENTS
WASHINGTON

8%WISCONSIN4%MICHIGAN

5%VERMONT

4%

NEW YORK8%PENNSYLVANIA

7%
CALIFORNIA

7%

ILLINOIS

3%

OREGON

8%

IOWA

3%

9. Full survey results and data are available atthe National Young Farmers’ Coalition’s website,
youngfarmers.org
10. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic ResearchService, Beginning Farmers and Ranchers, Economic
Information Bulletin Number 53, May 2009, (Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research,2009), http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/58618/2/
EIB53.pdf (accessed May 2011).
11. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines
beginning farmers as farmers or ranchers that haveoperated a farm or ranch for less than ten years.
12. More information on the Drake Forum can befound at: http://www.law.drake.edu/academics/
agLaw/?pageID=beginningFarmers (accessed May 2011).

www.youngfarmers.org 13

THE REPORT

Farmers reported a wide array of products, with organic vegetables being
the most popular (73%), followed by organic livestock and organic orchard
fruits (24%). The majority of respondents used organic practices, with
first generation growers accounting for 83 percent of organic growers.
Farmers markets were the most popular place to market products (61% of
respondents), followed by Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)13 (49%of respondents).
The survey showed that farmers who grew up on working farms weremuch less likely to sell through farmers markets, CSA and restaurants.
These farmers’ principal markets were wholesale or ‘other.’ Less relianceon farmers markets also correlated with more on-farm work experience:
67 percent farmers with one year of experience used farmers markets, but
only 54 percent of farmers with over six years of experience sold products
at farmers markets. More research is required to better understand thesetrends, but they do confirm the importance of a direct marketing for the
agricultural economy as a whole14 and as a start-up strategy for new farmers.
FARMER PARTICIPANTS’ FARMING BACKGROUND

Were you raised on a farm?

10%

YES, and I’m still farming there

12%

YES, but I farm somewhere else

78%

NO

FARMER PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR PRODUCTS

DAIRY

118

GRAIN

109

FLORICULTURE

122

FRUIT/ORCHARD

258

LIVESTOCK

379

VEGETABLE746

Organic? YES: 822 | NO: 165

14 BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed

OTHER

197

FARMER PARTICIPANTS BY AGE

A. B.
K.

C.

A. 70 yrs & over (1%)

D.

B. 65-69 yrs (2%)

E.

C. 60-64 yrs (4%)
F.

D. 55-59 yrs (4%)
G.

E. 50-49 yrs (4%)
F. 45-49 yrs (4%)
G. 40-44 yrs (5%)
H. 35-39 yrs (12%)

H.

I. Under 25 yrs (14%)
J. 30-34 yrs (25%)
K. 25-29 yrs (29%)

J.
I.

FARMER PARTICIPANTS BY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE FARMING

A.

A. More than 10 years (12%)
B. Less than 1 year (15%)
C. 6-10 years (16%)

D.

B.

C.

D. 1-5 years (56%)

13. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is apartnership between producers and consumers. The
consumer pays for a full ‘share’ of product at the
beginning of a season, which helps farmers stay outof debt and manage risk. The shareholders benefit bydeveloping a direct relationship with their farmer andoften paying less for fresh produce or meat than forcomparable products at a farmers market or grocery store.
14. U.S. Department of Agriculture, AgriculturalMarketing Service, Facts on Direct-to-Consumer Food
Marketing: Incorporating Data from the 2007 Census
of Agriculture, (Washington, DC: U.S. Department ofAgriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, May 2009),
http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=S
TELPRDC5076729 (accessed May 2011).

www.youngfarmers.org 15

MARGARET DE BONA

! Tracy Potter-Fins, County Rail Farm, Montana

THE RESULTS: What’s Working

What’s Working
Farmers were asked to rate the importance of existing supports
for beginning farmers: training opportunities, marketing strategies
and programs offered by states and non-profits. These ranged fromapprenticeships, to land-linking programs and Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA). This wide ranging selection of activities are allrecognized as helpful to young and beginning farmers, and the rating is
intended to highlight the most successful strategies and where resources
and attention should be focused going forward.
By far, farmers rated apprenticeships as the most important program foryoung and beginning farmers (74%), followed by local partnerships (55%)
and CSA (49%).

MOST VALUABLE PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG AND
BEGINNING FARMERS, AS IDENTIFIED BY FARMERS*

1. Apprenticeships (74%)**

2. Local partnerships (55%)**

3. Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA) (49%)**4. Land-linking programs (47%)**

5. Non-profit training andeducation (44%)**

6. College and University

training and education (30%)*** Farmer responses only. Additional farmer response data can be found in the Appendix.
** Percentages indicate number of farmer respondents that rated each program as the most important(farmers could select more than one choice).

www.youngfarmers.org 17

THE RESULTS: What’s Working

1a. Apprenticeships

Amber Reed, an apprentice with the
Quivira Coalition’s New Agrarian
Apprentice Program at the San Juan
Ranch, Saguache, Colorado.

1b. Apprenticeships

Sauvie Island Organics apprentices
moving irrigation pipe. Sauvie Island
Organics, in Portland, Oregon, has
graduated many highly successful
farmers from their Farmer In Training(FIT) program. Shown here are Becky
Calberg and Blake Manella.

1a1b2. Local Partnerships

Mike Appel and Emily Oakley, of Three
Springs Farm in Oaks, Oklahoma, sellat their local farmers market.

2

3

18 BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed

FROM TOP LEFT: AIMEE DANCH (1A); JOSH VOLK (1B); RACHEL MANCHESTER (2); LISA M. SHULMAN (3)3. Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA)The Greenwood Heights Community
Supported Agriculture distribution in
Brooklyn, New York.

1. Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships give people with little to no experience in agriculture theopportunity to learn the ropes on a working farm. Most apprenticeshipprograms do have an educational component, but it’s primarily hands-on
learning and hard work. For many beginning farmers, an apprenticeshipexperience is an essential part of their early farming career and offers
affordable training. Working for one or two years as an apprentice canprepare young farmers to work as regular farm employees or farmmanagers. The farmer-apprenticeship relationship is often one thatlasts beyond the season, and the mentor-mentee bond may be the mostvaluable takeaway.

2. Local Partnerships
Local partnerships may include the creation of farmers markets and
CSA distribution sites; such as “Buy Local” promotion programs, and thework of community-based organizations like Communities Involved In
Sustaining Agriculture (CISA). CISA is an innovative organization basedin Massachusetts that encourages people to eat and buy locally, provides
technical assistance to farmers, and is working with farmers to tackle
infrastructure challenges.

a“ Without
CSA offering
apprenticeship
opportunities, I
probably would
not have started
farming.

”— FARMER RESPONDENT,MARYLAND

3. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), that originally made its way to
the U.S. in 1986,15 is a valuable business model for young and beginning
farmers. In a CSA program, community members commit to buying a fullseason’s worth of produce in the spring, pre-paying for their “share” of the
farm’s harvest. CSA members then pick up a variety of fresh produce eachweek from the farm.
The CSA model is helpful for farmers and consumers: farmers haveenough capital in the beginning of the season to pay for the seeds andtools they’ll need; customers get a better price on produce and develop
a relationship with their local farmer. CSAs break the debt cycle thatthreatens many farmers, in which they must borrow money at the
beginning of the season and then hope to pay it back by the end. Withguaranteed buyers and capital to start, CSA stabilizes risk and minimizes
debt. CSA is particularly suited to vegetable growers, as their inputs
are highly scalable, but the model is now being used to market diverse
products, including meat, poultry, dairy, flowers, and even sustainably
harvested seafood. In the 2007 Census of Agriculture, 12,549 farms
reported marketing products through CSA.16

15. Elizabeth Henderson, Sharing the Harvest: A
Citizen’s Guide to Community Supported Agriculture,(New York: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2007).
16. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural
Statistics Service, Table 44. Selected Practices: 2007,(Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2007),
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/
Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_US_State_Level/st99_2_044_044.pdf (accessed June 2011).

www.youngfarmers.org 19

THE RESULTS: What’s Not Working

What’s Not Working
Survey respondents were asked to rate the biggest obstacles for young
and beginning farmers. Among farmers, lack of capital (78%) and accessto land (68%) rose to the top, followed by health care (47%), credit access(40%) and business planning and marketing skills (36%).

BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUNG AND
BEGINNING FARMERS, AS IDENTIFIED BY FARMERS*

1. Lack of capital (78%)
2. Land access (68%)
3. Health care (47%)

**

**

**

4. Access to credit (40%)**

5. Business planning andmarketing skills (36%)**

6. Profitable markets (30%)**

7. Education and training (26%)* Farmer responses only. Additional farmer response data can be found in the Appendix.
** Percentages indicate number of farmer respondents that rated each program as the most important(farmers could select more than one choice).

20 BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed**

1. Capital and Credit
Starting a farm is often an expensive proposition. Especially for farmers
raising livestock for meat, producing orchard fruit, and running dairy
operations, the costs of land, fencing, equipment, animal housing andprocessing facilities may be prohibitive. Because start-up capital can be abarrier to initiating these types of operations, it is not surprising that somany respondents were pursuing vegetable farming which requires lessinvestment at the outset.

Over 73 percent
of farmers
reported thatthey depend on
off-farm income.

For young and beginning farmers who may be recent college graduates
or fresh out of an apprenticeship, finding the money to start a farming
operation is daunting. And for those who do get a business up andrunning, the returns in the first few years may be less than they can live
on. Over 73 percent of farmers reported that they depend on off-farmincome, with farmers with more experience tending to depend on offfarm income less than those with fewer years of experience. Midwestern
farmers were the most likely to depend on off-farm income. National datasuggest that farmers with lower incomes are more likely to depend on
off-farm income.17
FARMER PARTICIPANTS BY YEARS OF FARMING AND DEPENDENCE
ON NON-FARM INCOMEYEARSFARMING

DEPEND ON NONFARMING INCOME

DO NOT DEPEND ON
NON-FARMING INCOME

Less than a year

17%

10%

1-5 years

56%

56%

6-10 years

15%

19%

More than 10 years

12%

15%

Although ranked independently in the survey question, capital and credit
access are so intertwined that they must be considered together. Accessto capital through credit has always been a challenge for farmers, given
the inherent risk of farming. For that reason, the U.S. Department ofAgriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA) is authorized to make subsidizedloans and to guarantee loans through private lenders. Because regularcommercial lenders can be hesitant to make loans to farmers, FSA
programs are absolutely essential for farmers of all ages and production
systems. A commercial lender must turn down a farmer before s/he canapply to FSA, which is why FSA was once called the “lender of last resort.”

17. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic ResearchService, Off-Farm Income, Technology Adoption, Farm
Economic Performance, Economic Research Report
Number 36, (Washington, DC: U.S. Department ofAgriculture, Economic Research Service, 2007), http://
www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR36/ (accessed
May 2011).

www.youngfarmers.org 21

THE RESULTS: What’s Not Working

A FARMER’S STORY
Capital and Credit

Denied credit from FSA, young farmer
turns to credit cards.
In her first season farming, Zoë
Bradbury spent all her savings onfarm inputs by April, including
one-time start up expenses like
operating expenses of seed andsoil amendments. With income notexpected for another two months,
Zoë approached FSA about getting
a small loan for irrigation.
The local FSA office said it would like to be able to offer her a low-interest
loan, but she was disqualified because she was operating on leased land.
Furthermore, the amount the FSA could offer would be determinedaccording to Zoë’s projected income, which is calculated by multiplying
predicted crop yields by state commodity prices. Based on those prices, shewould only be able to borrow a few hundred dollars, despite her plans to
direct market her products to consumers. Zoë anticipated her direct market
produce would yield ten times commodity prices. FSA would only accept
direct-marketed prices if she had records of three previous, consecutive
years of earnings at those rates.
Zoë also approached several local banks that were willing to lend toher, but only at a rate of 12 percent interest, and her family was unable
to afford to make her a private loan. As a last resort, Zoë applied for a
12-month, no interest credit card to finance her first year of farming, andthanks to a good growing season, she was able to pay it off before the 18.9
percent interest rate kicked in.

22 BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed

GROUNDSWELL FARM

her greenhouse as well as annualTHE RESULTS: What’s Not Working

Past Farm Bills created set-asides in FSA loan programs for “beginning
farmers.” The FSA defines a beginning farmer as a farmer of any age who
has been farming for 10 years or less.
There is little published data about who receives beginning farmer
loans, but anecdotal evidence suggests that many young farmers are notqualifying for FSA programs. Commonly raised issues include:w:/;:?5?@1:/E5:7:;C81031-9;:3%;Ō/1? Beginning farmers
report that some FSA officers do not know about the beginning
farmer and rancher loan opportunities. Farmers also report that
FSA agents are not always prepared to help farmers with diversified
operations, especially those marketing high value crops.
w:-.585@E@;31@?9-88;<1>-@5:38;-:? FSA makes operating loans
up to $300,000. Because the paperwork and eligibility requirements
are the same for loans big and small, there is little incentive for FSA
agents to work with clients interested in small loans. Therefore, theprogram is not adequately serving the needs of a beginning farmer,
who may only need $20,000 to get started on a rented parcel.

Beginning“ FSA
Farmer Loan
program can begreat if you havea strong businessplan, good luck,and one or two
off-farm incomesto mitigate risk.

”— FARMER RESPONDENT,
IOWAw;-:>1=A5>191:@?05?=A-852E.135::5:32->91>? For direct farmownership loans, FSA requires that farmers have at least three
years of farm managerial experience, but 10 or fewer years of overall
experience, to qualify as a beginning farmer. While some FSA agentsare more lenient in the interpretation of this rule and find otherqualifications that a farmer can fulfill, this is not always the case.
w%8;C<-E91:@?-:08;C8;-:8595@?;:05>1/@8;-:? The maximum
direct farm ownership loan from FSA is $300,000, which does not comeclose to the purchase price of farms in many parts of the country.
Furthermore, if a loan is even partially financed by FSA, then farmers
may need to wait a month before hearing back to see if their loan
application was accepted and then another several months to receive
the loan payment. If the beginning farmer is not purchasing theproperty from a landowner willing to wait for the FSA’s decision andthe subsequent loan processing time, they cannot use the program.

www.youngfarmers.org 23

A FARMER’S STORYLand Access and Capital

ALBA

A young farm worker becomes a farm businessowner with the help of a non-profit, but capital
stands in the way of land tenure.
Rigoberto Bucio left middle school
in his native state of Michoacán,
Mexico to come to the UnitedStates and work in California’s
strawberry fields. He didn’t
bring agricultural skills from his
hometown, but through years as
an organic farmer’s field hand, hegrew interested in one day owning
his own farming business.
The California-based Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association(ALBA), a business incubator that works to advance economic viability,
social equity, and ecological land management among limited-resource
and aspiring farmers, helped Rigoberto get started. In ALBA’s 6-month
Farmer Education Program, Rigoberto gained farming skills and business
management training. He learned how to register as a farmer in Monterey
County and developed a business plan, which he presented before a panelof other farmers.
When he graduated from ALBA’s Farmer Education Program in 2008, hemanaged a half-acre in a 110-acre plot owned by the organization andshared by about 40 ALBA farmers. Three years later, he manages four acresand provides almost three full-time jobs, plus occasional part-time jobs
during the height of the growing season. In an area where the rate to rent
an acre of land can be as much as $2,000 a year, he is paying ALBA $250 per
acre per year, which will increase slightly each year as he gains experience.
As Rigoberto considers moving beyond his ALBA experience, raising thecapital he needs for land, inputs and equipment is his greatest concern.

24 BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed

THE RESULTS: What’s Not Working

2. Land Access
The cost and availability of farmland to rent or purchase are major
barriers for young farmers. Given that more than three-quarters offarmers who took the survey did not come from farming backgrounds, it
is unsurprising that land access was a top issue. The discrepancy between
sky-high land prices in many areas, and the modest incomes and assetsof the typical young farmer, means that farmland ownership is out of thequestion for many beginning farmers.
This trend was reflected in the survey results, with farmers under 30
years old significantly more likely to rent land (70%) than those overthirty-years-old (37%). Overall, 30 percent of farmers said they rented
land, 35 percent owned land and 36 percent worked for someone else.
Among farm business owners raised on a farm, 65 percent owned land ascompared to 50 percent of farmers who did not grow up on a farm.
Across the United States, farmland is becoming more and moreconcentrated in the hands of older farmers. In 1999, only 1.67 percent
of farmland owners were under the age of 35, whereas 40 percent offarmland owners were over the age of 70.18

prices are“ Landso high that large
farms are getting
larger and nonag investors arepushing values
higher. This makes
purchasing landnearly impossible
as it will not pay
for itself.

”— FARMER RESPONDENT,KANSASAGE OF FARMLAND OWNERS IN THE UNITED STATES (1999)*

AGE OF OWNERNUMBER OF OWNERSACRES (in 1,000s)

under 25

2,260

146

25-34

25,079

3,150

35-44

128,385

17,88945-49

104,258

16,50550-54

132,634

29,92855-59

152,064

30,33960-64

177,326

37,00765-69

179,041

41,71670 & over

661,683

152,280* Excerpt from 1999 Agricultural Economics and Land Ownership Survey, Table 98 “Land Owned and Leased to Others
by Ownership Characteristics”19

The issue of farmland access goes beyond the individual needs of farmers;
it is a food security challenge for the entire nation. With the expected
retirement of one quarter of today’s farmers by 2030, it is estimated that
400 million acres, or 70 percent of the nation’s private farm and ranchlands, will inevitably change hands in the same time period.20

18. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural
Statistics Service, Agricultural Economics and Land
Ownership Survey: Land Owned and Leased to Others
by Ownership Characteristics, 1999, (Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural
Statistics Service, 1999), http://www.agcensus.usda.
gov/Publications/1997/Agricultural_Economics_and_
Land_Ownership/tbl98.pdf (accessed May 2011).
19. Ibid.
20. David Kohn and A. White, “The Challenges ofFamily Business Transition”, Horizons, Volume 13, No.
5, September/October 2001, http://www.reap.vt.edu/
publications/horizons/hor13-5.pdf (accessed May 2011).

www.youngfarmers.org 25

A FARMER’S STORYLand AccessTwo young farmers search for land.
Luke Deikis and Cara Fraver were both raised inagricultural communities, but met in New York
City in 2003. While Luke worked in the televisionindustry, Cara worked at a non-profit thatcoordinated CSAs in the city. For five years they
lived together in Brooklyn and maintained a large
backyard garden before leaving the city to pursue

QUINCY FARM

their farming dream in 2007.
Luke and Cara first set out to find a small piece ofland with a realtor, hoping to find 15 tillable acres
and a house that would be affordable on a farming

income. They had excellent credit and money for a sizeable down payment, but
soon realized the farms for sale were priced for developers rather than farmers.
After a year of searching in an ever-increasing radius around the city, they decided
to apprentice while continuing their search for land.
They expanded their search to include ground-leases and lease-to-own
opportunities and began approaching alternative land access organizations. They
registered with Farm Link in multiple states, posted ads on statewide organic
farming organizations, contacted land preservation organizations, sent letters tolandowners, tracked Craigslist postings, and created a website selling themselves
and their search for a land lease. They found that traveling to and visiting withland owners was extremely time-consuming, but most were reluctant to shareessential information about their property until they had met in person.
After three years of apprenticing and searching, Luke and Cara returned to theMultiple Listing Service and happened upon a property that fit their needs, thoughstill not their budget. They contacted numerous local organizations hoping to findsomeone to purchase the property and then lease it back to them for farming use.
They eventually found help from two non-profits: the Agricultural Stewardship
Association and the Open Space Institute. One organization bought the property
from the sellers and the second purchased the development rights from the first,
creating a conservation easement that forever protects the property as farmland
and lowered the purchase price enough that Luke and Cara could afford it. While
working with the non-profits made it an 11-month process, they successfully closed
on the farm in April of 2011, four years after their search began.

26 BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed

THE RESULTS: What’s Not Working

For farmers looking for land, this turnover may signal opportunity—
but the land may be out of their reach without local, state and federal
policy reform to ensure that prime farmland is accessible to the next
generation. Between 2000 and 2010, national farm values doubled, from
$1,090 per acre to $2,140 per acre.21, 22 These price jumps affect both theprice of land for purchase, as well as rental rates. Farmland adjacent tourban areas is even more expensive due to development pressure (innortheast states, for instance, the average farmland value is five-to-tentimes the national average). The recent ethanol boom has also propelled
price increases. In Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska farmland values rose close
to 20 percent from 2010-2011.23

Between 2000
and 2011, national
per acre farmvalues doubled.

Of course, owning land is not the only option for young farmers, andfarmers may find greater success if they rent land in their first few years.24
As an old dairy farmer’s saying goes, “a cow can pay for the cow, theequipment, or the land. But the cow cannot pay for all three at once.”25
There are many alternatives to owning land,26 such as long-term leases,
but these arrangements are hard to find. Already, 88 percent of farmland
owners are not farm operators and these so-called “absentee landowners”
own 40 percent of the nation’s farmland. Seeking tax exemptions, it istypically easier for these landowners to rent their property for haying
or corn, as opposed to a livestock or higher value vegetable operation,
increasing the chances that these lands will not be managed by young andbeginning farmers who tend to start their careers in row crop production.

FARM REAL ESTATE VALUES, 2000-201027$/Acre
2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

0

21. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agriculture
Statistics Service, Agricultural Land Values and Cash
Rents, Final Estimates 1999-2003, (Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural
Statistics Service, 2004), http://usda.mannlib.cornell.
edu/usda/nass/SB993/sb993.pdf (accessed May 2011).
22. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agriculture
Statistics Service, Land Values and Cash Rents 2010
Summary, (Washington, DC: U.S. Department ofAgriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service,2010), http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/
AgriLandVa/AgriLandVa-08-04-2010.pdf (accessed
May 2011).
23. Jason Henderson and Maria Akers, Agricultural
Finance Databook, National Trends in Farm Lending(Kansas City: Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City,
2011), http://www.kansascityfed.org/publicat/research/
indicatorsdata/agfinance/2011-04-ag-fin-db.pdf(accessed May 2011).
24. Robert Parsons, Kathryn Ruhf, G.W. Stevenson,
and John Baker, The FarmLASTS Project, FarmLand Access, Succession, Tenure and Stewardship,(Burlington: University of Vermont, 2010), http://www.
uvm.edu/farmlasts/FarmLASTSResearchReport.pdf(accessed May 2011).
25.Ibid.
26. Annette Higby, Kathryn Ruhf and Andrea Woloschuk,
Holding Ground: A Guide to Northeast Land Tenureand Stewardship, (Belchertown: New England Small
Farm Institute, 2004), http://www.uvm.edu/farmlasts/
FarmLASTSResearchReport.pdf (accessed May 2011).
27. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agriculture
Statistics Service, “Ag land, incl buildings-Asset value,measured in $/Acre (2000-2010),” (Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural
Statistics Service, 2010), http://usda.mannlib.cornell.
edu/usda/current/AgriLandVa/AgriLandVa-08-04-2010.
pdf (accessed July 2010).

www.youngfarmers.org 27

A FARMER’S STORY
Health Care

A young farmer talks about his experienceswith health care.

“As farmers, we put our bodies on the line
to produce food for communities andfulfill our passion for life. I don’t have
health insurance that covers my farming
right now. I can’t afford it. I haven’t had
health insurance for some time now.
When injuries arise, I usually ask for support from friends and colleagues orjust deal with it myself.

ADAM BARR

Blain Snipstal farms in Louisville,
Kentucky, where he produces foodfor Grasshoppers, a farmer-owned
distribution company. Before starting his
own operation, Blain farmed with a small
nursery in California and grew food forhis college cafeteria.

Usually, for most farmers, the injuries start to build up right around tomato
and potato harvest. My farm manager this past season began having chronic
lower-back pains and headaches. She mentioned that she can’t go to thedoctor because of the cost of insurance. Taking a break isn’t an option for
those of us who rely on farming to earn and make a living.
As a small producer, our markets are limited and relatively controlled by the
downward forces of big-ag and industrial markets. So trade-offs are usually
made to keep the farm above margins. The trade-offs, typically, are the healthof the farmer and the wage the farmer pays him or herself.”— Blain Snipstal

28 BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed

THE RESULTS: What’s Not Working

3. Health Care
Farmers without health care take a terrible risk for their profession.
Farming ranks as the fourth most deadly occupation in the U.S.28 Youngand beginning farmers are at the greatest risk for injury on the farm as
they build physical stamina and learn to use new equipment. Even thesimplest tasks can turn into a trip to the emergency room, and all injuries(on-farm or not) or sickness without health insurance can put a person
into severe debt.
Although an official count does not readily exist, most farms do not offer
health insurance of any kind.

me, health care“ To
is included in lackof capital. Do I
pay for healthinsurance or save
up for the farm?

”— FARMER RESPONDENT,NEW YORK STATE

28. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Census of Fatal
Occupational Injuries in 2009 (Preliminary Results),(Washington, DC: Bureau of Labor Statistics, August19, 2010), http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cfoi.pdf(accessed June 2011).

www.youngfarmers.org 29

NSAC! Beginning farmers from across the country travelled
to DC in June, 2011 to meet with members of Congress on the
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act
30 A TOUGH ROW TO HOE: CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUNG, AMERICAN FARMERS AND A NATIONAL STRATEGY TO HELP THEM SUCCEEDPOLICY RECOMMENDATIONSHow Congress and the President Can HelpSUPPORT
TRAINING AND
EDUCATIONEXPAND AND IMPROVE TRAINING FOR BEGINNING FARMERSAND RANCHERS
The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) was initiatedin the 2008 Farm Bill and is one of the most successful programs to date helping
young and beginning farmers. BFRDP provides competitive grants to non-profits
and universities for beginning farmer-training opportunities. This programprovides an important foundation for farmer training and should be renewed andexpanded in the next Farm Bill.
FUND THE NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE INFORMATIONSERVICE, “ATTRA”
The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, a project of the
National Center for Appropriate Technology29 is the most comprehensive
database of farm apprenticeships and internships in the country. The website
also offers a wealth of resources on organic and sustainable farming methods
and marketing. In the 2011 budget cycle this project, that helps so many people
into agricultural careers, lost all federal funding. Although ATTRA serves every
state with its online resources, it was categorized as an ‘earmark.’ Congressshould reinstate funding for this program immediately.

29. More information on ATTRA can be found on their website, http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/internships/index.php

www.youngfarmers.org 31

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONSHow Congress and the President Can Help

IMPROVEACCESS TO
CAPITAL AND
CREDITHELP YOUNG FARMERS MAKE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
FOR SUSTAINABLE FARMINGThe Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides cost sharing
for conservation structures and management, and offers beginning farmers acost share differential of up to 90 percent, with a 30 percent advance payment.
One of the most recent national EQIP programs funded high tunnels, whichenable season extension and protection from disease. Unfortunately, Congress
and President Obama slashed EQIP by $350 million in the 2011 budget
negotiations and the recent House Agriculture Appropriations bill took
another $350 million out of the program.
To help young farmers make farm investments, Congress should: restore
EQIP funding; increase the set-aside for young and beginning farmers; andreauthorize the cost sharing differential and advance payment for young andbeginning farmers for EQIP.
SUPPORT THE CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM (CSP)AND INCREASE SET-ASIDE
The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) provides financial andtechnical assistance to farmers for conservation activities and improving
and maintaining conservation systems. This program currently includes afive percent set-aside for beginning farmers, which should be doubled in thenext Farm Bill.
CONTINUE AND IMPROVE ON CREDIT OPPORTUNITIESFOR YOUNG AND BEGINNING FARMERSwMake existing FSA loan programs work for young and beginning farmers
FSA loans are critical for many young and beginning farmers. As capital isone of the biggest barriers to starting a farming career, and farm financing
has become more difficult in recent years,30 these programs must be apriority. The direct farm ownership loan experience requirement should be
reduced to two years (from three), and USDA should be given the authority
to increase the loan limits for direct farm ownership loans in areas of thecountry with higher real estate prices. The current loan limit is $300,000,
which doesn’t go very far in many regions.

32 BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed

IMPROVEACCESS TO
CAPITAL AND
CREDIT

w Provide microcredit for beginning farmers
The FSA should offer credit to farms of all sizes, including those run byyoung and beginning farmers that need modest amounts of capital to getstarted or expand. In the 2012 Farm Bill, Congress should authorize a new
micro-lending program that builds from FSA’s existing youth loan program.
Applicable to farmers ages 19-35, the program would have fewer loanrequirements and offer farmers up to $35,000.
w Fund beginning farmer and rancher individual development accounts
Individual development accounts (IDAs) help young and beginning farmers
save money by matching funds that they put into a savings account, andhelp them become successful entrepreneurs by requiring business planningcourses. IDA programs have been instrumental in helping young people
start businesses in states including Michigan, Iowa and California. The 2008
Farm Bill authorized a matched savings program for beginning farmers, but
Congress never funded the program. IDAs should be reauthorized in the2012 Farm Bill with $5 million of mandatory funding.
w Make the FSA more accessible to beginning farmers by training FSA
agents to work with young and beginning farmers, and expanding
online resources
All too often, young and beginning farmers report that some FSA agents do
not know about or promote young and beginning farmer loans, and loanrules are often applied too stringently, preventing young and beginning
farmers from receiving credit. FSA should have specially trained agentsto assist young and beginning farmers in each county office, or specialists
serving multiple offices in a region. In the short term, the USDA should
greatly expand their online resources for loan seekers.
w Offer loan pre-approval for beginning farmers
In competitive real estate markets, the FSA loan making process is likely totake too long for growers to purchase land. The current application process
can take longer than 30 days, and funds may not be available for months.
FSA should be authorized to pre-approve farm loans.

30. Farm Aid, Food & Water Watch, National Family Farm Coalition, and the Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA, Don’t Bank on It: Farmers Face
Significant Barriers to Credit Access During Economic Downturn, (Washington, DC: Food and Water Watch, March 2011), http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/
tools-and-resources/farmers-face-significant-barriers-to-credit-access/ (accessed May 2011).

www.youngfarmers.org 33

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONSHow Congress and the President Can HelpPROVIDE STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR YOUNG AND BEGINNING
FARMERS
Two-thirds of college graduates have student loan debt when they graduate.31
Farming is a vital and in-demand career, and the Federal Government should
provide incentives to young people interested in pursuing agriculture, as is
the case in other careers that are critical to our nation’s well being. As one
option, full-time farm workers, farm owners and farm apprentices could be
added to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF),32 now offeredto physicians, teachers and government employees.

NSAC

IMPROVEACCESS TO
CAPITAL AND
CREDIT

Kathleen Merrrigan, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, meets with beginning
farmers to discuss their experiences with USDA programs.

31. Tamar Lewin, “Burden of College Loans on Graduates Grows,” The New York Times, April 11, 2003, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/
education/12college.html?_r=2&hpw (accessed May 2011).
32. More information on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program can be found here: http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/
LoanForgivenessv4.pdf

34 BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed

ADDRESS LANDACCESS AND
AFFORDABILITY

OFFER TAX CREDITS FOR LEASING OR SELLING LAND TO A
BEGINNING FARMERIn Nebraska and Iowa, landowners are offered tax incentives for selling or
leasing land to a beginning farmer. A similar program should be initiated at
the federal level to encourage property owners to sell or lease their land toqualifying beginning farmers. Provisions to ensure that the beginning farmers
are making a majority of their income in farming should be put in place.
PRIORITIZE AFFORDABILITY WITHIN THE FARM AND RANCH LANDSPROTECTION PROGRAM (FRPP)The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service
will match up to 50 percent of the price of a conservation easement throughits Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP).33 This is an excellent
use of federal funds that should continue and be expanded: however,priority should be given to programs or easements that include affordability
provisions. If affordability protections are not made in an easement, the land
can be sold at a price many times greater than what a farmer can afford andthere is no guarantee that it will remain an active farm when the land nextchanges hands. Model programs to assure affordability have been successfully
implemented by the Vermont Land Trust and by the State of Massachusetts.
TRANSITION INCENTIVES PROGRAM (TIP)
The Transition Incentives Program (TIP) offers landowners with land in theConservation Reserve Program (CRP) two additional payments after theircontract expires if they sell or offer a long-term lease to a beginning or “sociallydisadvantaged”34 farmer or rancher. This program, especially important for
Midwestern states, should be continued and greater use encouraged by Natural
Resource Conservation Service agents. Transitions among family members
who otherwise meet eligibility criteria should be permitted.

33. More information on this program can be found: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/frpp/
34. The USDA defines a socially-disadvantaged farmer as “one of a group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice becauseof his or her identity as a member of the group without regard to his or her individual qualities.” More information can be found: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/
webapp?area=home&subject=fmlp&topic=sfl

www.youngfarmers.org 35

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONSHow States Can HelpSUPPORT
TRAINING AND
EDUCATIONLEGALIZE APPRENTICESHIPS AND PROTECT YOUNG FARMERSState labor laws govern apprenticeships, and some state laws are friendlier
to the idea than others. States should define apprenticeships, legalizing themfor farmers while ensuring a safe work environment and fair compensation
for farm apprentices.

IMPROVEACCESS TO
CAPITAL AND
CREDITNEW FARMER GRANTS
Massachusetts offers competitive small grants for beginning growers, a newprogram that helps young people get started in agriculture. This is a great
program to watch, and one that should be considered by other states.
HEALTH CARE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Very few farms offer health insurance for their employees, and many
employees will go without because of financial considerations. Programs
like Healthy New York35 and Insure Oklahoma, which enable small businessowners to provide affordable health care, should be emulated in other partsof the country to help small farms afford health care for their employees.
Farmers who provide health insurance to their workers should not be placed
at a competitive disadvantage.
STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESSIn Pennsylvania, The Agriculture Education Loan Forgiveness (AELF)
program helps eligible graduates repay student loans when they return to
Pennsylvania to work in a qualifying agriculture field. Pennsylvania Higher
Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) will forgive up to $2,000 per year on
outstanding American Education Services (AES)-administered, federally
insured student loans for each year of satisfactory employment.36

35. More information on this program can be found: http://www.ins.state.ny.us/website2/hny/english/hny.htm
36. More information on this program can be found: http://www.pheaa.org/funding-opportunities/loan-forgiveness/index.shtml

36 BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed

ADDRESS LANDACCESS AND
AFFORDABILITY

AFFORDABILITY PROTECTIONS FOR FARMLAND
Protecting a farm from development with an agricultural easement may notensure that the land will be owned and operated by a farmer or that it will beaffordable for a farmer to purchase.37 Massachusetts, through its Agricultural
Preservation Restriction program, is committed to keep working lands inactive farming by requiring that eased parcels be resold at ‘agricultural value.’
As noted in the federal section, it is important that land protection be coupledwith affordability and active farming. Other states should adopt similar
regulations in their programs to fund agricultural easements.
TAX INCENTIVES FOR LANDOWNERS WHO RENT OR SELL TO
BEGINNING FARMERS
Nebraska and Iowa have adopted innovative programs to provide tax
incentives to landowners who lease or sell land to a beginning farmer. Other
states should consider similar programs.

37. Parsons, The FarmLASTS Project, Farm Land Access, Succession, Tenure and Stewardship, 18.

www.youngfarmers.org 37

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONSHow You & Your Community Can Help

TIM ALTMAN

w%&$&!$! %
CSAs are a fantastic way to provide you, your family or roommates withaffordable and healthy food. Find a CSA near you through Local Harvest(localharvest.org).
If you don’t see a CSA in your neighborhood, consider working with a local
farmer or CSA organization to start one. In New York City, CSA is booming
because individuals volunteer to help start and manage CSAs in theirneighborhoods. The organization Just Food (justfood.org) pairs interested
individuals with local farmers.

JOSH VOLK

East Williamsburg CSA,
Brooklyn, New Yorkw%'""!$&+!'$!+!' $$%+%!"" )&
THEM AT THE FARMERS MARKETOne of the easiest ways to help your local farmers is to shop at your local
farmers market. If you don’t have a local market, consider working with
farmers to start one.
w%!'$+!'$!' &+!!$!!' &+$%
Parents, if your children aren’t eating local food, you can do something
about it. Talk to administrators about sourcing food from local farms
and check out projects like the National Farm to School Network(farmtoschool.org).

MICHIGAN YOUNG FARMERS’ COALITION

Sauvie Island Organics,
Portland, Oregon

Installing irrigation atDeer Tracks Farm, Ann Arbor,
Michiganw+!'$,!  $ +Especially in suburban areas, your local farmers may benefit fromrevised zoning that’s friendly to farming. If farmers ask for revisions,
keep an open mind and help them work through their issues.
w%!$$ &+!'$ &!+!'   $$
If you’re sitting on a beautiful piece of farmland, with perfect drainage
and infrastructure, why not consider renting or selling it to a young
and beginning farmer? Willing and supportive land owners are criticalto bringing up the next generation of farmers in the United States. By
helping a young farmer get started, you’ll change a life, help your country,
and make a friend in the process.
w!(&% !$)$)&& &! +!' 
FARMERS’ COALITION
The National Young Farmers’ Coalition will be closely tracking the Farm Billand agriculture funding debates over the next year, as well as state policies
and programs. We will offer opportunities for participation and action.
Right now, you can help us win a sustainable and healthy future for
American agriculture by joining the National Young Farmers’ Coalitionand participating in local organizing efforts.

38 BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed

Get Involved with the National Young Farmers’ Coalition

Start or get involved with a state or regional
coalition of young farmers
SHANNON RAIDER

Farmers in Michigan, Washington State, Connecticut,
New York and other states are forming local coalitions
to connect farmers within their region. These groups areorganizing for policy reform at the state level and areleveraging local resources and know-how to strengthen
their farming communities.
All of the groups plan fun events, and their close geography
enables participating farmers to share tractors, tools andideas. They’re also a great way to make farmer friends!
Connecticut New Farmers Alliance

REGIONAL COALITION CONTACTS
Michigan Young Farmers’ Coalition

michiganyoungfarmercoalition.org
farmer@michiganyoungfarmercoalition.org
Washington State Young Farmers’ Coalition

washingtonyoungfarmers.org
info@washingtonyoungfarmers.org

Check youngfarmers.org forinfo on groups in New York,
Massachusetts and other states.
If you’re interested in forming a
coalition in your state, email
info@youngfarmers.org.

Connecticut New Farmers Alliancewww.newctfarmers.com
farmer@newctfarmers.com

Join!
Join the National Young Farmers’ Coalition. By becoming a member, you’ll help us demonstratewidespread demand for policies that support family farmers.
Your support will help us bring farmers to meet with their representatives in Washington, DC,
advocate for a Farm Bill for the next generation, grow our network of young farmer coalitions
throughout the country and expand our practical resources.
To sign-up, go to E;A:32->91>? ;>3"www.youngfarmers.org 39

47%
40%
36%
30%
26%

Health care
Access to credit
Business planning and marketing skills
Profitable markets
Education and training

47%
40%
36%
30%
26%

-

-

78%
68%

47%
38%
34%
27%
23%

80%
72%

A.
<30

48%
41%
37%
32%
29%

76%
65%

B.
30+

47%
41%
34%
25%
25%

79%
70%

A.
Rent

47%
37%
40%
38%
30%

75%
59%

B.
Own

47%
42%
33%
27%
22%

79%
76%

Total
74%
55%
49%
47%
44%
30%

74%
55%
49%
47%
44%
30%

A.
Yes

-

B.
No

83%
54%
50%
50%
44%
28%

A.
<30

B.
30+

69%
55%
49%
45%
44%
31%

Age

75%
61%
54%
52%
41%
24%

A.
Rent
61%
54%
45%
41%
47%
33%

B.
Own
86%
51%
50%
50%
44%
32%

C.
Farm
workerRent/Own

83%
58%
50%
51%
46%
26%

Northeast

A.

50%
39%
32%
31%
24%

83%
72%

70%
54%
43%
50%
49%
33%

B.
MidwestRegion

48%
45%
40%
25%
29%

80%
66%

B.
MidwestRegion

Total

71%
57%
52%
51%
45%
43%
39%
32%

High rating (1 or 2 selected)

Incentives for landowners to sell or rent land
to new farmers/ranchers
Affordable health care
Incubator Farms
Funding for new farmer training and education
Student Loan forgivenessIndividual Development Accounts (IDA)
New farmer networking forums
Farm to school

71%
57%
52%
51%
45%
43%
39%
32%

A.
Yes

-

B.
No

Farmer

73%
59%
52%
52%
51%
48%
35%
29%

A.
<30

B.
30+

68%
55%
52%
49%
41%
39%
42%
34%

Age

77%
58%
56%
52%
45%
47%
37%
31%

A.
Rent
64%
53%
43%
50%
39%
33%
47%
37%

B.
Own
72%
59%
56%
52%
52%
50%
33%
28%

C.
Farm
workerRent/Own

73%
60%
50%
52%
50%
46%
38%
33%

Northeast

A.

67%
55%
56%
57%
45%
44%
41%
30%

B.
MidwestRegionMost important potential actions that should be taken to help beginning farmers and ranchers

Apprenticeships
Local partnerships
Community Supported Agriculture
Land-linking programs
Non-profit training and education
College and University training and education

High rating (1 or 2 selected)

FarmerA.
Northeast

Most important existing program for assisting new and beginning farmers/ranchers

Lack of capitalLand access

Total
78%
68%

High rating (1 or 2 selected)

B.
No

A.
Yes

C.
Farm
workerRent/Own

65%
61%
50%
59%
40%
34%
42%
38%

C.
South

68%
51%
54%
37%
45%
24%

C.
South

47%
33%
46%
40%
30%

71%
68%

C.
South

74%
57%
53%
45%
46%
46%
37%
34%

D.
West

77%
59%
54%
48%
39%
35%

D.
West

45%
42%
31%
29%
25%

76%
69%

D.
West

43%
36%
31%
20%
21%

80%
71%

B.
No

80%
47%
46%
41%
31%
27%

B.
No

70%
57%
52%
56%
47%
44%
43%
35%

A.
Yes

73%
55%
52%
38%
40%
40%
31%
23%

B.
No

Non-farm
income

72%
58%
50%
50%
49%
31%

A.
Yes

Non-farm
income

49%
41%
38%
34%
28%

77%
67%

A.
Yes

Non-farm
income

48%
38%
33%
29%
27%

79%
71%
45%
44%
38%
34%
23%

78%
68%

70%
55%
59%
66%
50%
40%
43%
34%

77%
56%
51%
47%
45%
27%

68%
51%
44%
48%
37%
36%

70%
56%
53%
50%
47%
44%
37%
33%

72%
58%
47%
44%
41%
43%
41%
28%

Yrs farming
B.
C.
1-5
6+
yrs
yrs
A.
< 1 yr

74%
56%
50%
47%
55%
28%

Yrs farming
B.
C.
A.
1-5
6+
< 1 yr yrs
yrs

46%
41%
41%
27%
28%

73%
60%

Yrs farming
B.
C.
1-5
6+
yrs
yrs

A.
< 1 yr

48%
37%
34%
30%
26%

78%
69%

B.
No

81%
56%
49%
49%
44%
27%

B.
No

71%
51%
39%
51%
40%
35%
38%
35%

A.
Yes

71%
58%
55%
51%
47%
46%
39%
31%

B.
No

Farm raised

51%
52%
49%
40%
45%
41%

A.
Yes

Farm raised

44%
49%
41%
31%
27%

78%
65%

A.
Yes

Farm raised

45%
40%
34%
24%
23%

80%
69%

B.
$20K+

74%
52%
46%
42%
34%
32%

B.
$20K+

69%
57%
54%
56%
49%
44%
44%
36%

A.
<$20K

74%
57%
47%
40%
38%
39%
34%
26%

B.
$20K+

2009 sales

71%
59%
51%
49%
50%
31%

A.
<$20K

2009 sales

50%
38%
38%
36%
30%

77%
64%

A.
<$20K

2009 sales

71%
57%
44%
43%
45%
39%
33%
32%

A.
Dairy

71%
49%
47%
43%
42%
28%

A.
Dairy

50%
38%
25%
32%
20%

78%
70%

A.
Dairy

75%
50%
45%
46%
33%
37%
39%
32%

B.
Grain

56%
53%
46%
40%
47%
30%

B.
Grain

40%
43%
34%
31%
25%

86%
67%

B.
Grain

72%
61%
61%
58%
45%
48%
41%
33%

C.
Floriculture

91%
55%
55%
53%
49%
34%

C.
Floriculture

49%
41%
39%
27%
29%

78%
72%

C.
Floriculture

48%
39%
38%
32%
26%

80%
68%

67%
56%
51%
47%
46%
31%

E.
Livestk

64%
59%
54%
54%
51%
43%
40%
35%

D.
Fruit/
Orchard

69%
56%
50%
52%
43%
40%
42%
34%

E.
Livestk

Farm products

75%
59%
54%
45%
47%
36%

D.
Fruit/
Orchard

Farm products

50%
37%
41%
32%
27%

74%
67%

Farm products
D.
E.
Fruit/
Orchard Livestk

The highlighted cells
demonstrate significancewithin a group, at the
90% confidence level orgreater. In other words,
the highlighted results are
not simply the result of thesample, but illustrate atrend within a given groupof farmers.

Age

71%
58%
55%
54%
47%
45%
38%
33%

F.
Veggie

80%
55%
52%
49%
45%
27%

F.
Veggie

49%
39%
36%
30%
26%

78%
70%

F.
Veggie

68%
63%
58%
50%
45%
44%
43%
34%

G.
Other

76%
62%
48%
48%
48%
28%

G.
Other

55%
39%
39%
35%
29%

77%
66%

G.
Other

43%
45%
37%
34%
24%

78%
68%

B.
No

50%
52%
41%
51%
48%
42%

B.
No

71%
57%
55%
52%
46%
43%
39%
32%

A.
Yes

72%
51%
33%
47%
39%
38%
38%
33%

B.
No

Organic

79%
56%
52%
48%
45%
27%

A.
Yes

Organic

48%
39%
36%
30%
25%

78%
69%

A.
Yes

Organic

These tables highlight how
farmer survey respondents,
across a variety ofdemographics, prioritizedchallenges that beginning
farmers face, as well as the
programs and actions that
can help them succeed.

FarmerBiggest obstacles faced by young and beginning farmers

Highlighted cell = Significant difference within group

APPENDIX

40 BUILDING A FUTURE WITH FARMERS: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed

youngfarmers.org