Vilsack Announces Investment In Young, Beginning Farmers

By: Janet Kubat Willette

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack looked ahead and backward in a Wednesday press conference where he announced an additional investment in beginning farmers.

Vilsack, who has served as agriculture secretary during the entire Obama administration, said USDA has set up a framework to invite new people into the business of farming. It’s important to attract new people to farming as the average age of American farmers is 58.

One of the consistent challenges he hears is access to land, Vilsack said. There needs to be a conversation about creating opportunities for older landowners to make land accessible to younger or beginning farmers, he said. Those conversations will start Aug. 29 in Arkansas when USDA officials travel to the state to have a conversation about land ownership transition. Other meetings will be in Colorado, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina and New Hampshire.

It’s part of the transition to a new administration to identify emerging or existing issues that require action, Vilsack said.

To help attract and train new farmers, Vilsack announced an investment of $17.8 million for 37 projects to help educate, mentor and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers.