Ohio ranks fourth in the nation for the number of farms, with more than 75,000, and beginning farmers in the Buckeye State and nationwide may soon be getting a boost from Washington.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines beginning farmers as those in business for 10 years or fewer. The bipartisan "New Producer Economic Security Act," recently introduced in Congress, proposes the USDA help new farmers overcome challenges such as securing land, funding operations and accessing markets.
Nicholas Rossi, policy specialist for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, explained the growing pressure to find new farmers.
"The average age of a farmer in the United States is 58 years old, I think a little above 58 years old," Rossi pointed out. "We see in the next couple of years there's going to be one of the largest transfers of agricultural land this country's seen in a long time."
Between 2017 and 2022, Ohio saw very little growth in the amount of available farmland, making it harder for young farmers to get started. The program could fund low- or no-interest loans, land-access grants and community-ownership models such as land trusts and co-ops.
Nationally, the 2022 Census of Agriculture showed beginning farmers make up 30% of the country's more than 3 million producers, an increase from just over 26% in 2017.
The stakes are high when it comes to who gains access to farmland in the years ahead, Rossi emphasized.
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