Passionate Farmers Needed Now More Than Ever
June 19, 2024 We all know the usual path to an ag career. You grow up on a farm, get an ag-related degree, then join the family farm. But that path isn’t generating enough new farmers to keep the industry going. I’ve met several successful growers with no ag background. The one thing they have in common? Passion.
Some are like Emma Jagoz, owner of Moon Valley Farm. She began growing her own food to ensure her children’s health, then fell in love with production and built a farm that now supports 20 workers. Growers like Jagoz make the connection between farming, food, and nutrition, and it sparks a lifelong passion.
One college student I met started growing produce as a high school freshman and found it was a good way to build a college fund. Then in college he discovered the joy of seeing how what he learned in the classroom actually played out in his crops and fields.
Occasionally, I’ll come across an established grower who complains about the competition coming from new farmers, in many cases idealistic young couples who have a lot to learn.
The established grower’s irritation is usually justified. The newcomers make ignorant mistakes that create unfair competition. Without years of good and bad weather or needing to replace equipment, newbies often undercharge for their produce.
But those irritants are small compared to the need for growers under the age of 65 to keep the industry going and supplying the country with American-grown produce.
Every few years, we ask growers their age for our State of the Vegetable Industry survey. This year, 45% said they’re more than 65 years old. It jumps to 73% for those older than 55. Just two years ago, it was 39% and 68% respectively. We need new blood.
If you have a young, passionate farmer in your area, think about having them over for dinner with your family. They have the passion to get them past the hard work inherit to growing. But you have the experience they could use to navigate around pitfalls like the too-low prices that create unfair competition. By helping them, you are helping yourself and the industry as a whole.
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