The market rental rate of Alba’s land is about $2,100 per acre per year, but first-year students pay 25 percent of that rate. “In talking to beginning farmers and anyone working in the field, land access always comes up as one of the most challenging pieces,” said Ms. Obudzinski. The brothers now work on building up Cenobio Organics, their first farm business, where they’re growing cilantro, tomatoes, carrots and strawberries. Sixteen of those were running their businesses from Alba’s incubator farm while 33 had moved on to land outside the incubator. Most of those who didn’t choose to open a farm outside Alba reported increases in their income after graduating and returning to jobs in agriculture and other industries.

Source: New York Times November 27, 2019 19:52 UTC