RELEASE: Young farmers to gather at Roundhouse to share top challenges with state legislators
Farmers from both New Mexico chapters of the National Young Farmers Coalition will discuss policy solutions to get the next generation of young farmers on the land
SANTA FE, NM (Jan 22, 2018) – Members of the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) will gather at the Capitol on Wed., Jan. 24th, to share the top challenges they face, including land access, student loan debt, water conservation, and farmland succession. The convening is organized by young farmers from NYFC’s two New Mexico-based chapters: the Rio Grande Farmers’ Coalition and the Northern New Mexico Young Farmers’ Alliance. The NYFC drive-in is hosted in conjunction with the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union drive-in on Jan. 23rd, where local NYFC chapter members will also be present.
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.
RELEASE: NATIONAL YOUNG FARMER SURVEY REVEALS A GENERATION READY TO DEFY ODDS
Young farmers working to overcome barriers—land access, student debt, labor, health care. National Young Farmers Coalition issues report on survey results; calls on lawmakers, businesses, and consumers to promote the “Young Farmer Agenda” as Congress writes a new farm bill
HUDSON, NY – Nov. 27, 2017 – America’s new generation of young farmers expect to overcome major barriers to their success in agriculture, including access to land, affordable health care, and mounting student loan debt, but success will require deliberate policy change at all levels of government, according to the 2017 National Young Farmer Survey. The survey was conducted by the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) in partnership with Dr. Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director of Sustainability at George Washington University and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture.
RELEASE: National Young Farmers Coalition teams up with renowned data visualization firm to help farmers buy land
Free educational site offers first-of-its-kind land affordability calculator
HUDSON, NY – Oct. 16, 2017 – Finding Farmland (http://findingfarmland.youngfarmers.org), a new website that offers educational tools to help young farmers address the top obstacles to starting a farm— access to both land and capital—was launched today by the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) and Fathom Information Design. Features include a first-of-its kind land affordability calculator that makes it easy for farmers to learn about options for financing farmland and tools, such as easements, to help make it more affordable.
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 […]
Vermont Land Access Innovations Training
In April, the National Young Farmers Coalition and the Vermont Land Trust teamed up to host a two-day Land Access Innovations Training in Vermont. The training brought together staff from 26 land trusts, state agencies, foundations, and other organizations across 10 states to discuss tools and strategies for protecting working farmland and helping the next […]
Balancing work with work: On day jobs and land hunts
By Stacia Cannon | Balancing an off-farm job with the often unpredictable needs of the orchard is a constant battle. It’s a life of long hours, frugality, and problem solving. But the grass is green and the fruit is sweet.
Land access innovation at Temple Wilton Community Farm
By Holly Rippon-Butler, Land Access Program Director My last post described the range of challenges farmers are facing when it comes to land access, and I suggested broad solutions, like working with a land trust and fostering community support. In this post, I want to show you how those solutions can look on the ground […]