Young Farmers Weigh In On A Challenging Year
It's been a challenging year for American farmers.
Farmers in the U.S. witnessed a trade war with China unfold, farm debt continues to pile on and delays in planting due to extreme weather linked to climate change.
And as farmers get older — their average age is 58 years old — what does the next generation of farmers look like? Will they face the same barriers?
Gracie Weinzierl recently began farming on Weinzierl-Stephens Farms in Stanford, Illinois. The 27-year-old comes from a family of farmers who grows cash grains such as corn and soybeans.
She says she's celebrating the end of a rough year.
"The year started with rain and the year ended out with rain," she says.
Because of wet weather, her farm was about three weeks behind their regular schedule, she says. Fortunately, her crops grew like normal, however harvest was delayed, something she says was "very stressful."
Davon Goodwin, an
