Farmers’ top reported challenges include finding affordable land to buy, accessing capital, affording health care, meeting the costs of production, finding housing, and paying off student loans. Across the board, young farmers who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color are disproportionately affected.
Fortunately, farmers have some new opportunities to gain the support they need. In November 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $24 million investment into organizations and institutions that train beginning farmers and ranchers. In a press release, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Acting Director Dionne Toombs says, “[Beginning farmers’] success, especially in the first 10 years, often hinges on access to reliable, science-based information and the latest educational resources so they can improve their operations’ profitability and sustainability long-term.”
A fresh wave of new farmers includes many young people from populations that’ve historically been excluded from traditional financing.
