USA: ‘They just need land’: young farmers struggle to find affordable acreage

According to a survey conducted by the National Young Farmers Coalition, finding affordable land to buy is the number one challenge for farmers under 40.

By Marin Scotten
Guardian
Apr 22, 2023

Excerpt:

Across the country, the cost of farmland is the highest it has been since the 1970s. From 2021 to 2022 alone, value per acre increased by 12.4% and it now costs on average $3,800 an acre, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In some states it’s even higher: last year farmland in California averaged $12,000 an acre. These record-high prices are making it nearly impossible for young and emerging farmers to break into the industry. With the current generation of farm owners nearing retirement age and over 40% of the country’s farmland – that’s about 400m acres (162m hectares) – expected to change hands in the next decade, there are thousands of young farmers ready to take over. But with limited financial resources and farmland prices continuing to rise, many can’t access land to grow food.

According to a survey conducted by the National Young Farmers Coalition, finding affordable land to buy is the number one challenge for farmers under 40. Limited access to capital, student loan debt and healthcare costs make it increasingly challenging for young farmers when trying to build a farm.

The majority of young farmers are also first-generation farmers, so they don’t have access to farmland or resources that may have been passed down by a family member, says Carolina Mueller, the coalition manager at the National Young Farmers Coalition.

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