The National Young Farmers Coalition is a nonprofit organization with 26 chapters across the United States that advocates for and supports young and beginning farmers. The coalition focuses on addressing issues related to access to land, capital, markets, and other resources faced by young farmers through grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, and leadership development programs. Membership has grown in recent years and includes over 1,000 members across its email list, Facebook page, and dues-paying members.
3. 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
5. 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
6.
7. 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.
8. 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
9. 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
118
GRAIN
109
FLORI-
CULTURE
122
FRUIT/
ORCHARD
258
LIVESTOCK
379
VEGETABLE
746
OTHER
197
Organic? YES: 822 | NO: 165
10. 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).
11. 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).
12. 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
14. 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+
15. 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.
16. 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%)
17. • 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
21. 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
22. 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
23. 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
24. How We Do It
• Grasstops
Relationships
• Authentic input
from our members
• Friendly
administration
25. FDA Food
Safety Rules
• Food Safety
Modernization Act
of 2011
• NYFC National Day
of Action
– 70 parties in 30
states
26.
27. 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
28. Land Access
NATIONAL YOUNG FARMERS COALITION | SEPTEMBER 2013
FARMLAND CONSERVATION 2.0
HOW LAND TRUSTS CAN PROTECT AMERICA’S WORKING FARMS
Land Trusts as Partners
• Traditional Easements are
not working
• Working Land Easements
• Professional Development
• Policy Change
29. The Campaign:
• Win champions in Congress
• Engage farmers
• Create media hype
• Legislation introduced > full
fledged grassroots campaign
31. 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
32. 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
33. Join the movement at
youngfarmers.org
Questions?
sophie@youngfarmers.org
