National Young Farmer Survey Results

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Taylor in Beginning Farmers, Farming Resources, News, Policy, Politics, Publications, Research, Rural Development, Young Farmers // 0 Comments

Building a Future with Farmers II – National Young Farmer Survey Results from the National Young Farmers Coalition

The results are in! Earlier this year, The National Young Farmers Coalition surveyed over 3,500 young farmers in all 50 states in order to understand the challenges and opportunities facing the next generation in U.S. agriculture. They have just released the results to the public, and are excited to share their findings with you!

The survey report, “Building a Future with Farmers II,” reveals a generation ready to overcome the barriers they face, including land access, student loan debt, labor, and health care. But success will require policy change at all levels of government. To ensure today’s young farmers are able to start farm businesses and stay in agriculture, NYFC is calling on lawmakers and supporters to promote the “Young Farmer Agenda”—comprehensive policy recommendations based on our findings.

The survey was conducted in partnership with Dr. Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director of Sustainability at George Washington University and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, and with the help of 94 partner organizations.

Read the National Young Farmer Survey Report

The Washington Post just featured the report in an article, “A growing number of young Americans are leaving desk jobs to farm.” Don’t miss it!

The National Young Farmer Coalition will also be sharing young farmer stories and findings from the survey on social media. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and share the survey with the hashtag #youngfarmersurvey.

Despite facing many barriers, today’s young farmers are hopeful. They are starting on small acreage, growing a diversity of crops, selling directly to consumers, and are committed to sustainable practices. Let’s work together to ensure these bright young people are able to feed their communities good food for years to come.

You can find out more about action you can take to support a recently introduced Bill promoting beginning farmers at https://www.beginningfarmers.org/support-beginning-and-aspiring-farmers-action/.

And you can learn more about Farm Bill policy and agricultural politics at https://www.beginningfarmers.org/farm-policy-agricultural-politics/.