The Slow Food USA Blog

Drake Forum discusses getting new farmers on the land

Posted on Sat, March 06, 2010 by Jerusha Klemperer
2 Comments | Categories: Events, Farms and Farming, Food Justice, Policy, School Food, Youth Food Movement,

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I just spent an invigorating 2 days in Washington DC at the Drake Forum, a gathering intended to “identify innovative policies and projects at the federal, state, and local levels to support new and beginning farmers.” Right now the average age of the American farmer is 57, a statistic we bandy about without really knowing how to correct it. I mean the answer is simple: get more young people on the land! Make farming a cool, viable career again! But easier said than done.

Jane Black covered it anecdotally in the Washington Post today, capturing just one of many of the fascinating stories shared with the 200+ group. We heard stories of frustration—navigating the confusing maze of USDA programs available; stories of renegades succeeding despite the obstacles—Hmong farmer Susane Moua in St. Paul MN, turning backyards into a CSA program.

The strength of this gathering lay in a few key places:
1. The focus on discussing real, possible solutions, especially in the policy arena
2. The presence of US Agencies, especially the USDA (including Secretary Tom Vilsack delivering the opining keynote)
3. The focus on bringing together big ag and sustainable ag (though the deck was a bit stacked towards the sustainable ag folks)

The conference was organized by Professor Neil Hamilton, Slow Food chapter leader in Iowas as well as the head of the Drake Agricultural Law Center. Attendees seemed extremely energized following the final session today—one in which “policy reporters” from each panel summarized the potential policy solutions that arose on their panel as well as posing the essential remaining questions.

Some Big takeaways:
1. Farmer to farmer learning is the most important and most useful
2. The new Office of Outreach and Advocacy at the USDA could go a long way towards helping new farmers understand what’s out there for them, resource-wise
3. Rural America needs young people and the only thing that will bring them there is opportunity—that, and culture (Curt Ellis of “King Corn” fame hosted a mini film fest last night and mentioned how cool it would be to have the darkened theatres on Main Streets reopened as independent movie houses)
4. NSAC will be working to brainstorm ideas for a New Farmer Initiative in the next Farm Bill

My head’s still buzzing from it all.

[picture courtesy of Big Grey Mare, flickr]

Member Comments

From FoodFitnessFreshAir on Sat, March 06, 2010

Sounds like a great forum. The average of of a farmer is 5. Really? This surprises me. I really hope we find a way to include the gov. in helping merge sustainable and large-scaled ag.

From Evan Dvorsak on Sat, March 06, 2010

As a young farmer, this topic is obviously incredibly important to me. I see the biggest obstacle is how incompatible our financing system is with small farmers. The kind of farming I want to do, and many other organic growers, is by nature small and locally-based. Most ag-lenders want to see business models based on high inputs, and high production and commodity crops. Lenders have been flabbergasted when I bring my business plan to them, one based on low-inputs and direct-marketing of quality products. I think major land reform would benefit farms as well. In the Twin Cities area (a promising market for new organic growers) land is so expensive within a reasonable distance from the city. I would like to see agriculture land protected from development as a nationally priority.