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Our Model • Young Farmer Leadership (Board, Staff, Local) • Grasstops: building relationships with key
decision makers • Grassroots: mobilizing our network to take
action – Rely on local leaders
• Membership
26 Chapters in 26 States
• Young farmer-led • Organized locally • Focused on issues first-career
farmers face • Foster communication and
collaboration • Build relationships with elected
officials • Offer cost-sharing
opportunities • Offer young farmers a
collective voice
FARMER PARTICIPANTS BY AGE
A. 70 yrs & over (1%)
B. 65-69 yrs (2%)
C. 60-64 yrs (4%)
D. 55-59 yrs (4%)
E. 50-49 yrs (4%)
F. 45-49 yrs (4%)
G. 40-44 yrs (5%)
H. 35-39 yrs (12%)
I. Under 25 yrs (14%)
J. 30-34 yrs (25%)
K. 25-29 yrs (29%)
K.
J.
I.
H.
G.
F.
E.
D.C.B.A.
FARMER PARTICIPANTS BY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE FARMING
A. More than 10 years (12%)
B. Less than 1 year (15%)
C. 6-10 years (16%)
D. 1-5 years (56%)
A
B
C D
FARMER PARTICIPANTS’ FARMING BACKGROUND
FARMER PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR PRODUCTS
Were you raised on a farm?
78% NO
YES, but I farm somewhere else12%
10% YES, and I’m still farming there
DAIRY
118GRAIN
109FLORI-
CULTURE
122FRUIT/
ORCHARD
258LIVESTOCK
379VEGETABLE
746OTHER
197
Organic? YES: 822 | NO: 165
1. Lack of capital (78%)**
2. Land access (68%)**
3. Health care (47%)**
4. Access to credit (40%)**
5. Business planning and marketing skills (36%)**
6. Profitable markets (30%)**
7. Education and training (26%)**
BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUNG AND BEGINNING FARMERS, AS IDENTIFIED BY FARMERS*
* Farmer responses only. Additional farmer response data can be found in the Appendix.** Percentages indicate number of farmer respondents that rated each program as the most important
(farmers could select more than one choice).
1. Apprenticeships (74%)**
2. Local partnerships (55%)**
3. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) (49%)**
4. Land-linking programs (47%)**
5. Non-profit training and education (44%)**
6. College and University training and education (30%)**
MOST VALUABLE PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG AND BEGINNING FARMERS, AS IDENTIFIED BY FARMERS*
* Farmer responses only. Additional farmer response data can be found in the Appendix.** Percentages indicate number of farmer respondents that rated each program as the most important
(farmers could select more than one choice).
FARMER PARTICIPANTS BY YEARS OF FARMING AND DEPENDENCE ON NON-FARM INCOME
Less than a year
1-5 years
6-10 years
More than 10 years
17%
56%
15%
12%
10%
56%
19%
15%
YEARS FARMING
DEPEND ON NON-FARMING INCOME
DO NOT DEPEND ON NON-FARMING INCOME
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
$/Acre
FARM REAL ESTATE VALUES, 2000-201027
PERCENTAGE OF FARMERS OVER 65 AND BETWEEN THE AGES OF 25-35, 1890–2007 (USDA)
Demographic trends suggest that the farming population will continue to decrease: since 1950, the average age of principal farm operators has gone up, while the number of young farmers has steadily fallen. In 2007, there were only 118,613 U.S. farmers under the age of 36, just 13 percent of the 956,318 young people that operated farms in 1950.7,8
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1945
1950
1954
1959
1964
1969
1974
1978
1982
1987
1992
2002
2007
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
Farmers, 25-35
Farmers, 65+
What is the Farm Bill? • A collection of laws that govern most of
agriculture and food programs in the US. • The bill:
– Creates mandatory spending and programs – Authorizes discretionary spending and programs
• Authorized every 5 or so years. – The omnibus nature of the bill brings together many
groups that wouldn’t otherwise collaborate, and stirs fierce competition among others over spending priorities.
2014 Farm Bill Dollars • $956 billion over 10 years (2014-23) • 4 titles get most of the cash:
– Nutrition (79%) – Commodities (4.6%) – Conservation (6%) – Crop Insurance (9.4%) – Everything else (1%)
• A marker bill for young and beginning farmers – Revises many titles
of the Farm Bill to help a specific coalition of interest groups
• BFROA addresses credit, capital and land
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act
2014 Farm Bill Wins • Full funding for the
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program $20m/yr
• FSA microloan = Permanent • “Farm Viability” added to
land conservation program • Farm Ownership Loan
How We Did It • Working together
– National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition – Local chapters
• Creating champions in the right places – House Ag Committee Republicans
• Grassroots support – In-district meetings, fly-ins, media
USDA Admin Reform • What we’ve won
– Farm Service Agency Microloan – up to 50k – Farm Storage and Facilities Loan Program
• What we’re advocating for – Online applications – Allowing farmers to self-register their farms – Offering FSA loan pre-approval – Empowering local USDA staff to specialize in
substantive areas, such as organic
FDA Food Safety Rules
• Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011
• NYFC National Day of Action – 70 parties in 30
states
The FDA Listened! How Did We Do It?
• Grassroots Campaign – Focused on what’s needed: farmer comments – NYFC digested the rules into easy to understand
bullet points – Created a single focal point: The Day of Action – Offered organizing support for all events
• Part of a Strong Coalition
Land Access
NATIONAL YOUNG FARMERS COALITION | SEPTEMBER 2013
FARMLAND CONSERVATION 2.0HOW LAND TRUSTS CAN PROTECT AMERICA’S WORKING FARMS
Land Trusts as Partners • Traditional Easements are
not working • Working Land Easements • Professional Development • Policy Change
The Campaign: • Win champions in Congress • Engage farmers • Create media hype • Legislation introduced > full
fledged grassroots campaign
How to Plug In • Share your student loan story:
youngfarmers.org/studentloans • Tell us about your experiences with USDA • Start a chapter • Become a member
Starting a Chapter in your Region:
1. Identify target members 2. Create a team 3. Set the geographic area of the network 4. Plan a first meeting / mixer 5. Reach out to other farmer organizations and networks 6. Write a mission statement 7. Plan a short term goal to build energy
WHY? • Advocacy • Education • Community • Marketing • Business
Join the movement at youngfarmers.org [email protected]