Christina Herrick
I’m no stranger to student loan debt. In fact I’m quite acquainted with income-based repayment plans. I understand just how much of my current and future income will be tied up paying back four-plus years of education. (I studied graphic arts post-undergrad hence the “plus.”)
I also know just how much student loan debt causes me reprioritize things like buying a home, buying a car, starting a family, etc., etc.
I have a feeling I’m not the only one feeling the weight of college loans. Last month I noted the disparity between growers at the sunset or dusk of their career and those at the sunrise. One of our top news stories of 2015 read “Study Predicts No Farmers And Ranchers Under Age 35 By 2033.”
A survey conducted by Rangelands, the publication of the Society for Range Management, saw a significant drop in farmers aged 34 years or younger and also a drop in the 35-54 age bracket. Although this study focused on the High Plains, the authors say this trend is continuing throughout the country.
They also predict a bleak future for the next-next generation. The survey predicted no farmers in the plains younger than 35 by 2033 and by 2050, the average age of famers will be 60.
That may be extreme, but one has to wonder if student loans, coupled with the high cost of getting into farming, are causing young growers to reexamine their future in the industry and weigh the benefits of a career in agriculture vs. higher-paying entry level jobs.
As the agriculture industry becomes more high-tech every year, so goes the need for higher education to keep up with new technology. It’s no secret that your consumers have come to demand perfect fruit available at its peak, while expecting you to use less inputs to help deliver that perfect fruit. They also expect that you’re able to track the produce from pick to market, and record all sprays you’ve used on that produce, too.
It’s a costly venture, growing produce. This is why this month’s GenNext Growers story on the Young Grower Success Act is so timely. This pending legislation hopes to categorize farming as a public service, and therefore young growers would be eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. This act was introduced in the hopes of encouraging more young people to choose a career in agriculture.
The benefits the agriculture community would see from more young people being able to enter the industry would be fundamental. So says Eric Hansen, policy analyst for the National Young Farmers Coalition, especially as the average age of growers continues to grow. Hansen’s organization helped get the legislation introduced and specifically speaks to new and first-generation farmers.
“There’s a particular need to get young people into the industry. Farmers have never been older; we are very concerned that 2/3 of U.S. farmland will need a new primary operator in the next 25 years,” he says.
As we enter an election year, it’s important that agriculture’s voice – especially of the next generation — doesn’t get lost amid all the voices clamoring for national attention. Help voice your support for this act. The future of agriculture depends on GenNext to take the reins.