The Average Age of Farmers is Going Up. Kentucky’s Young Agricultural Producers Say It’s Out of Their Control

Starting a farm is like starting a family. There’s a whole world of new smells, bills, stained clothes and reasons to celebrate, but it’s not easy.

Shea Lowe – who started a Calloway County farm with her husband Scott in 2002 – said the barriers for entry into the industry are significantly higher for first-generation farmers.

“When we got started we were young, but we had no family invested in the farm. None on his side, none on my side – there was just no establishment,” Lowe said. “You start from zero. You don’t own anything. I don’t think [legacy farmers] can fathom just how you would get started without a legacy.”

Lowe and her family are in the minority when it comes to farming. The Washington Post reports that around 96% of farms are multigenerational. At 41, they’re also on the low end of the age spectrum. The average age of farmers in the United States increased this year, rising from just over 56 to 57 and a half – meaning even fewer young farmers are going into the industry.

Agriculture industry experts cite a variety of reasons for this lack of young farmers.

A 2022 survey conducted by the National Young Farmers Association indicated some of the biggest challenges are “access to farmland and capital, student loan debt, access to healthcare, affordable housing and the increasing impacts of climate change.”

Farmers who weren’t born into multigenerational legacy farms often have to buy land – which costs nearly $5,000 per acre in Kentucky – in addition to paying an average of $500 per acre for farm equipment.

The Lowe family has grown soybeans, corn and tobacco since 2002. Scott Lowes learned the business from working on a farm through highschool and college with the help of a local mentor.

Shea Lowe said not having a family history in the industry, lacking proper equipment and securing finances were the biggest hurdles when starting their business. The couple secured bank loans to raise their first crops and for many years struggled to pay off their debt.

Source: wvxu.org

Photo Credit: gettyimages-sisoje