"In New Food Culture, a Young Generation of Farmers Emerges"

Source: nytimes.com via Liz on Pinterest

Garry Stephenson, coordinator of the Small Farms Program at Oregon State University, said he had not seen so much interest among young people in decades. “It’s kind of exciting,” Mr. Stephenson said. “They’re young, they’re energetic and idealist, and they’re willing to make the sacrifices.”


Though the number of young farmers is increasing, the average age of farmers nationwide continues to creep toward 60, according to the 2007 Census of Agriculture. That census, administered by the Department of Agriculture, found that farmers over 55 own more than half of the country’s farmland.

From The New York Times

I heard a similar statistic about Iowa farms on NPR the other day. I think it was that more than 50% of Iowa farms are owned by people over the age of 60. The second statistics definitely was 25% are owned by someone older than 75.