Still, the average age of U.S. farm producers in 2017 was 57.5 years, creeping up from 56.3 years in 2012. [Younger farmers confront physical and emotional challenges]“As farmers age out and retire,” Sophie Ackoff of the National Young Farmers Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates for young farmers, “we’re not adding enough new farmers to make up for it. This may reflect changes in how farmers were counted this go-round, said Erin Foster West, federal policy director for National Young Farmers Coalition. [Suicides among veterinarians become a growing problem]“This meant that, previously, it may not have included young farmers and female partners. Regardless of race, only two out of every five American farm producers (1.42 million) list farming as their primary job.

Source: Washington Post April 13, 2019 10:30 UTC