We are excited to announce the farmers selected for our fourth annual Bootstrap Blog series, which features young farmers and ranchers in their first or second year of running their own farm. Throughout the season, each Bootstrap Blogger will write about the highs and lows, glory moments and curveballs that come with farming.

Farming is a capital-intensive business. Between 2000 and 2010, national farm values doubled, making it more difficult for beginning farmers to afford land, not to mention farm equipment, animals, feed, or seeds. In a 2011 NYFC survey, 78% of respondents said they struggled with a lack of capital.

Farming is also a knowledge-intensive business. Farmers are called on to be soil scientists, engineers, veterinarians, business managers, and marketing gurus—sometimes all in the same day. To keep their businesses afloat, young farmers must respond quickly to changes in climate, new marketing opportunities, and evolving technology.

Yet despite these challenges, and many others, there are still thousands of young people who are interested in making farming their life’s work. We received more than 60 applications for our Bootstrap Blog series this year, and every last one of them contained the inspiring story of a young farmer who decided to follow their passion for growing things and feeding people. We wanted to share all of them, but alas we had to select only four:

• Hannah Becker of Willow Springs Farm in Williamsburg, Kansas
• Maggie Bowling of Old Homeplace Farm in Oneida, Kentucky
• Derek Emadi of Emadi Acres Farm in Lockhart, Texas
• Caitlin Arnold of Furrow Horse Farm in Morton, Washington

The Bootstrap series will be a weekly feature on our blog for the rest of 2015. The writers will share what it’s like to be a new farmer, how they plan their businesses, what their dreams are, and how they tackle one of the world’s dirtiest, most challenging, and most rewarding professions.

Photo: Maggie Bowling planting a cover crop at Old Homeplace Farm.