Food Chain Radio Show #991

Michael Olson, Author & Urban Farming Agriculturalist

BEGINNING FARMERS

Who among you will step up to grow our food?

Guest: Writer Lauren Markham, Orion Magazine

Farmer Eliza Greenham, Legacy Fruit

This Poll is closed!!

What is the most costly mistake made by beginning farmers?

Lack of marketing

Poor growing practices

Wrong crops

Not enough capital

*

28%

14%

57%

I had an interesting conversation with one of the nation’s premiere food processors this past week.  His family has been processing raw crops from area farmers into value added food products in the same location for well over a hundred years.  You would know his name, were you to see it on a label.

Michael Olson Food Chain Radio: BEGINNING FARMERS – Who will step up among our young will step up to grow our food?

We talked about the new ways of growing crops for awhile, and he was animated with talk of the dollars and sense of the new technology, and which elements of that technology he would encourage his farmers to adapt.

Then our conversation turned to his farmers.  Sadly, on the tips of five fingers, he ticked off the names of the farm families his family has worked with for decades, and then said, in quiet amazement, “Not one of these families have children to take over their farm!

Were this conversation a one-of, it would not be worthy of mention, much less consideration.  But in fact, the average age of the American farmer  is 58 years old, and the work of farming is often physically demanding.  When we put together old farmers, and hard work, we know a change is coming, and coming fast.  And so we ask…

Who among our young will step up and feed our nation?

Tune in here, for the syndicated Food Chain Radio Show #991 Live on November 15, 2014 Saturday 9AM Pacific