support your local (young) farmer!

Young People Going Back to the Farm

(From:WNYC)

“US Department of Agriculture census figures show the number of people under 35 who are operating small and medium-sized farms increased 14 percent between 1997 and 2002, the latest year data was available. In a less scientific fashion, Greg Swartz has noticed the youth wave, too, at his group’s 26th annual conference. Swartz is the executive director of NOFA, the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York.

We broke a really great record in the past year with more than 1,000 attendees. and historically, the attendees were gray…gray haired. We saw an amazing number of younger folks that were interested in becoming farmers, that were beginning farmers already and that were interested in activist and advocacy roles that are needed to build a local food system.”

the green…what?

While we’re on the topic of growing food, I thought I’d mention something I came across a few weeks ago. The Greenhorns is a film directed by Severine Fleming, a graduate of Pomona college, that “explores the lives of America’s young farming community.” While the film hasn’t been released yet, the topic remains a relevant one considering that a. I don’t know any 20-35 year old is interested in farming as a career (and I challenge you to find one) and b. farming, while deeply rooted in the history and making of the U.S., is pretty much a dead field. As of September 2007, less than 1% of the American population claim farming as an occupation. It seems like the film will address these issues while simultaneously showing the profile of the New American Farmer, certainly a demographic far below anyone’s radar. Are they the Farmer Brown types, a piece of hay dangling out of their mouths as they explain the milking habits of their Holstein cows in a southern drawl? Where do they come from? What are their fears in entering a dying career? Why do they farm? As an amateur gardener and food enthusiast, I’m excited to see this film shed light on the new generation of young, revolutionary green thumbs.

(links to The Greenhorns’ site is to the right…their blog is worth a peep too)

Also, this is an interesting article about the resurgence of (young) farmers in the New York Times.