For young farmers, by young farmers!

NATIONAL YOUNG FARMERS COALITION

POLICY � NETWORK � SERVICES

Our Model •  Young Farmer Leadership (Board, Staff, Local) •  Grasstops: building relationships with key

decision makers •  Grassroots: mobilizing our network to take

action –  Rely on local leaders

•  Membership

 

26 CHAPTERS IN 26 STATES

2015 Email List: 15k Facebook: 45k Members: 1k

26 Chapters in 26 States

•  Young farmer-led •  Organized locally •  Focused on issues first-career

farmers face •  Foster communication and

collaboration •  Build relationships with elected

officials •  Offer cost-sharing

opportunities •  Offer young farmers a

collective voice

FARMER PARTICIPANTS BY AGE

A. 70 yrs & over (1%)

B. 65-69 yrs (2%)

C. 60-64 yrs (4%)

D. 55-59 yrs (4%)

E. 50-49 yrs (4%)

F. 45-49 yrs (4%)

G. 40-44 yrs (5%)

H. 35-39 yrs (12%)

I. Under 25 yrs (14%)

J. 30-34 yrs (25%)

K. 25-29 yrs (29%)

K.

J.

I.

H.

G.

F.

E.

D.C.B.A.

FARMER PARTICIPANTS BY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE FARMING

A. More than 10 years (12%)

B. Less than 1 year (15%)

C. 6-10 years (16%)

D. 1-5 years (56%)

A

B

C  D

FARMER PARTICIPANTS’ FARMING BACKGROUND

FARMER PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR PRODUCTS

Were you raised on a farm?

78% NO

YES, but I farm somewhere else12%

10% YES, and I’m still farming there

DAIRY

118GRAIN

109FLORI-

CULTURE

122FRUIT/

ORCHARD

258LIVESTOCK

379VEGETABLE

746OTHER

197

Organic? YES: 822 | NO: 165

1. Lack of capital (78%)**

2. Land access (68%)**

3. Health care (47%)**

4. Access to credit (40%)**

5. Business planning and marketing skills (36%)**

6. Profitable markets (30%)**

7. Education and training (26%)**

BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACED BY YOUNG AND BEGINNING FARMERS, AS IDENTIFIED BY FARMERS*

* Farmer responses only. Additional farmer response data can be found in the Appendix.** Percentages indicate number of farmer respondents that rated each program as the most important

(farmers could select more than one choice).

1. Apprenticeships (74%)**

2. Local partnerships (55%)**

3. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) (49%)**

4. Land-linking programs (47%)**

5. Non-profit training and education (44%)**

6. College and University training and education (30%)**

MOST VALUABLE PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG AND BEGINNING FARMERS, AS IDENTIFIED BY FARMERS*

* Farmer responses only. Additional farmer response data can be found in the Appendix.** Percentages indicate number of farmer respondents that rated each program as the most important

(farmers could select more than one choice).

FARMER PARTICIPANTS BY YEARS OF FARMING AND DEPENDENCE ON NON-FARM INCOME

Less than a year

1-5 years

6-10 years

More than 10 years

17%

56%

15%

12%

10%

56%

19%

15%

YEARS FARMING

DEPEND ON NON-FARMING INCOME

DO NOT DEPEND ON NON-FARMING INCOME

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0

$/Acre

FARM REAL ESTATE VALUES, 2000-201027

PERCENTAGE OF FARMERS OVER 65 AND BETWEEN THE AGES OF 25-35, 1890–2007 (USDA)

Demographic trends suggest that the farming population will continue to decrease: since 1950, the average age of principal farm operators has gone up, while the number of young farmers has steadily fallen. In 2007, there were only 118,613 U.S. farmers under the age of 36, just 13 percent of the 956,318 young people that operated farms in 1950.7,8

1890

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1945

1950

1954

1959

1964

1969

1974

1978

1982

1987

1992

2002

2007

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

Farmers, 25-35

Farmers, 65+

What is the Farm Bill? •  A collection of laws that govern most of

agriculture and food programs in the US. •  The bill:

–  Creates mandatory spending and programs –  Authorizes discretionary spending and programs

•  Authorized every 5 or so years. –  The omnibus nature of the bill brings together many

groups that wouldn’t otherwise collaborate, and stirs fierce competition among others over spending priorities.

2014 Farm Bill Dollars •  $956 billion over 10 years (2014-23) •  4 titles get most of the cash:

– Nutrition (79%) – Commodities (4.6%) – Conservation (6%) – Crop Insurance (9.4%) – Everything else (1%)

•  A marker bill for young and beginning farmers –  Revises many titles

of the Farm Bill to help a specific coalition of interest groups

•  BFROA addresses credit, capital and land

Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act

Hudson Valley Young Farmers Coalition

2014 Farm Bill Wins •  Full funding for the

Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program $20m/yr

•  FSA microloan = Permanent •  “Farm Viability” added to

land conservation program •  Farm Ownership Loan

How We Did It •  Working together

– National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition – Local chapters

•  Creating champions in the right places – House Ag Committee Republicans

•  Grassroots support –  In-district meetings, fly-ins, media

USDA Admin Reform •  What we’ve won

– Farm Service Agency Microloan – up to 50k – Farm Storage and Facilities Loan Program

•  What we’re advocating for – Online applications – Allowing farmers to self-register their farms – Offering FSA loan pre-approval – Empowering local USDA staff to specialize in

substantive areas, such as organic  

How We Do It

•  Grasstops Relationships

•  Authentic input from our members

•  Friendly administration

FDA Food Safety Rules

•  Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011

•  NYFC National Day of Action – 70 parties in 30

states  

The FDA Listened! How Did We Do It?

•  Grassroots Campaign – Focused on what’s needed: farmer comments – NYFC digested the rules into easy to understand

bullet points – Created a single focal point: The Day of Action – Offered organizing support for all events

•  Part of a Strong Coalition

Land Access

NATIONAL YOUNG FARMERS COALITION | SEPTEMBER 2013

FARMLAND CONSERVATION 2.0HOW LAND TRUSTS CAN PROTECT AMERICA’S WORKING FARMS

Land Trusts as Partners •  Traditional Easements are

not working •  Working Land Easements •  Professional Development •  Policy Change

The Campaign: •  Win champions in Congress •  Engage farmers •  Create media hype •  Legislation introduced > full

fledged grassroots campaign  

Engaging Elected Officials •  Video    

How to Plug In •  Share your student loan story:

youngfarmers.org/studentloans •  Tell us about your experiences with USDA •  Start a chapter •  Become a member

Starting a Chapter in your Region:

1.  Identify target members 2.  Create a team 3.  Set the geographic area of the network 4.  Plan a first meeting / mixer 5.  Reach out to other farmer organizations and networks 6. Write a mission statement 7.  Plan a short term goal to build energy

WHY? •  Advocacy •  Education •  Community •  Marketing •  Business

Join the movement at youngfarmers.org Questions?sophie@youngfarmers.org