Source: NATIONAL YOUNG FARMERS COALITION, 11/27/17

America’s new generation of young farmers expect to overcome major barriers to their success in agriculture, including access to land, affordable health care, and mounting student loan debt, but success will require deliberate policy change at all levels of
government, according to the 2017 National Young Farmer Survey. The survey was conducted by the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) in partnership with Dr. Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director of Sustainability at George Washington University and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture.

“The time is now for our country to help young farmers defy the odds, preserve farming as a
livelihood, and revitalize our nation’s rural economy,” said Lindsey Lusher Shute, Executive
Director and Co-founder of NYFC. “This report proves that there are thousands of young people
ready to build new farms in the United States, but we’ve got to do our part and make sure that they
will succeed.”

The survey, conducted with 94 partner organizations, collected data from 3,517 current,
former, and aspiring U.S. farmers under 40 years of age. In its report on the survey, NYFC
finds that the top challenge cited by young farmers is land access, particularly finding and
affording land on a farm income. It is also the main reason why farmers quit farming and
why aspiring farmers haven’t yet started.

A ground-breaking survey of young farmers and ranchers
“America desperately needs young people to repopulate our farm and ranch lands. This
survey reveals the daunting challenges they face. As policymakers sit down to write our next
farm bill, I hope they pay attention to these survey findings,” said Dr. Merrigan. “If nothing
more is done to help transition young people into American agriculture, we will be importing
all our food.”

NYFC reports that young farmers surveyed are capitalizing on the demand for local food by
selling directly to consumers and growing a diversity of crops and livestock. The survey also
indicates a generation of producers strongly committed to environmental stewardship, with
75% of current young farmers describing their practices as “sustainable,” and 63% describing
their farming as “organic,” though many of them have not sought certification.

Like their millennial counterparts, young farmers surveyed by NYFC were highly educated
and increasingly racially diverse, and despite challenges and relatively low income, the
survey found high optimism: 63% of respondents said they are making or eventually would
make sufficient income to meet their life goals.

“Things are changing in American agriculture and our perceptions and policies need to keep
pace,” said Dr. Merrigan. “This survey reveals that it’s no longer Old MacDonald of
storybook fame. Rather, it’s Ms. MacDonald, a college graduate who didn’t grow up on the
farm and considers her farming practices to be sustainable or organic.”

How lawmakers can help young farmers
Considering these findings, NYFC called on lawmakers to enact a slate of policy reforms it
calls the “Young Farmer Agenda,” which includes: addressing land access and affordability;
helping young farmers manage student debt; increasing the skilled agricultural workforce;
enabling farmers to invest in on-farm conservation; improving credit, savings, and risk
management opportunities for young farmers; and addressing racial inequity among farmers. 

Young farmers need consumer, community, and business support
“Ensuring the success of our nation’s newest farmers and ranchers requires deliberate policy
change at all levels of government,” said Shute. “It also demands the support of every
stakeholder—individuals, communities, and businesses.”

NYFC called on supporters to act: help grow your local food economy; rent or sell farmland
to young and beginning farmers; enable your business to be part of the solution; and join
NYFC to add your voice to the young farmer movement. (For details, visit
www.youngfarmers.org)

The full survey, including the executive summary, charts, policy recommendations, and stakeholder
action steps, are available at NYFC at www.youngfarmers.org.

The National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) is a national advocacy network of young farmers
fighting for the future of agriculture. Visit NYFC on the web at www.youngfarmers.org, and on
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.