Land Team Dispatch: Climate, Land Trusts, and Finance
Last year, NYFC released Building A Future with Farmers II, our report on the findings of our 2017 National Young Farmer Survey. We found that land access is the number one challenge facing young farmers and ranchers across America. The actions that we take now will determine what happens to the millions of acres of […]
RELEASE: NYFC Publishes Report Calling on New York State to Make State Protected Farmland Affordable for Farmers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kate Bittman, kateb@youngfarmers.org / (917) 915-3350 National Young Farmers Coalition Publishes Report Calling on New York State to Make State Protected Farmland Affordable for Farmers “Farmland for Farmers – Working Farm Easements as a Tool to Keep New York Farmers on the Land” calls on New York State to prioritize funding for conservation […]
The Land Problem and a Bill for Governor Cuomo
In the next 5 years, 100 million acres of farmland will need a new owner — yet finding farmland is the hardest thing for young farmers. Why is that? Holly Rippon-Butler, director of the land program at the National Young Farmers Coalition, talks about why it’s so hard for farmers to find land, how land […]
NYFC Gains Traction in New York Land Access Campaign
In New York State, NYFC has been advocating for the expanded use of working farm easements that not only protect the land, but also the farmer, by keeping land affordable and in farmer ownership. We recently had two significant successes in this effort. For the first time ever, easements that protect farmer ownership were made […]
Finding Farmland: Upgrade Released
If you have been using NYFC’s Finding Farmland site, get ready for a big upgrade to our Land Affordability Calculator. And if you haven’t—try out the new version now! A decision-making tool designed specifically for farmers seeking land, the Finding Farmland Calculator makes it easy for farmers to understand and compare farm financing options, […]
Finding and Funding Your Farm
By Michael Durante, Land Access Program Associate
The demographics suggest that finding farmland should be easier now than ever, and indeed the National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates that over the next five years, nearly 100 million acres of U.S. farmland are expected to change ownership. But beginning farmers consistently find that accessing land—particularly finding and affording land on a farm income—is the number one challenge they face. We recommend several strategies for farmers seeking land.
Why I’m not giving up, despite a harvest from hell
By Andrew Barsness | As profit margins shrink, farmers need to farm more acres in order to remain profitable. But like many other young farmers, I’m pursuing a different route, focusing on diversification, value-added products, and specialty crops.
My one piece of advice to aspiring farmers
By John Wepking | Get to know the older farmers in your community, and start channeling your inner sponge. What we need first is not our own patch of dirt, but an ability to learn the trade from an experienced operator.
Announcing NYFC’s Land Affordability Calculator
findingfarmland.youngfarmers.org Fall is when farm work, done under the glow of the sun, gives way to farm planning under the glow of a computer screen. If your farm planning includes a search for—or even just a dream of—land of your own, NYFC has a tool for you. This fall, NYFC launched Finding Farmland, a website designed […]
12 farmers, 44 meetings, 1 day
In the first week of June, with the 2018 farm bill already in motion, twelve young farmers flew to D.C. to tell Congress we need a farm bill that invests in our future. They discussed land access, student loans, health care and more. We held 44 meetings in one day and left D.C. feeling confident that young farmer interests will be […]