Conservation Corner: Young farmers working to change attitudes, improve odds

13 years ago

Too often, we hear farming statistics that reflect only glass half-empty declarations such as the fact that for every one farmer under the age of 35, there are six farmers over the age of 55. I’ve also personally heard that while some farmers recognize that theirs is an honorable profession, they really hope their offspring will choose another as it is an awful hard way to make a living.

While the declining farms crisis is real, this is, after all, a new year and a time to focus on the positive. There are emerging groups across the country working positively hard to reverse those negative statistical farming trends. One such group is the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC). Their mission is simply, “to ensure the success of today’s young and beginning farmers and that of future generations of farmers.” Together, and by drawing on a survey of over 1,000 farmers, they have produced a report of achievable recommendations to help the next generation of American farmers succeed. By recognizing the barriers for young people to build their own farm businesses, the NYFC also recognizes opportunities to overcome those barriers, at the national and local levels.

Another young farmers group, calling themselves the Greenhorns, seeks to “recruit, promote, and support young farmers in America.” They have produced a documentary, have a weekly radio address, hold young farmer trainings and events around the country, and published “The Greenhorns Guide for Beginning Farmers,” a guidebook that provides a list of resources and common sense steps to beginning farmers. (www.thegreenhorns.net)

At the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association in Unity, Abby Sadauckas’s job is to provide education and training to new farmers. She recently attended a National Young Farmers Coalition conference and came away excited by the drive and enthusiasm of grass-roots movements like NYFC and others, and noted that organizations in other states are now modeling their beginning farmer programs after MOFGA’s.

Sadauckas feels that the rise in young farmer entrepreneurship comes from several factors but also stems from the current general distrust in society and the thought that changing the way we live will produce change on a larger scale. She also felt that being one’s own boss was an exciting part of being a young farmer.

One additional part of farmer training Abby would like to see is to bring older, established farmers together with aspiring and new farmers to share their wisdom. While young farmers are seeking out successful business models to focus their farming on, having a pool of older farmers as mentors would be invaluable. Aroostook County has a multitude of experienced farmers to share farming wisdom.

Farmland viability is an important focus for the Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District, and it is inspiring to learn of organizations such as these and imagine how beginning farmers of southern Aroostook can play a part. There is a belief with the Commissioner of Ag and within MOFGA that now is the time for Aroostook County to have a resurgence in agriculture and once again become part of Maine as the bread basket of New England. Calling all young farmers.