Growing Farmers Initiative
As our food system has shifted away from family farms, the face of farming in the United States has also changed. Since the 1940s, the percentage of American farmers over the age of 55 has grown from 37 percent to over 60 percent. The average U.S. farmer is now 57 years old, and farmers over the age of 55 own more than half the farmland in the U.S.
For decades, economic forces have discouraged farming as a viable occupation, creating a shortage of young people entering the profession. Zach Wolf, a young farmer at Stone Barns, says he became interested in farming in high school. “I didn’t know how to make it work,” he says. “You hear that farmers work really hard and can’t make ends meet. It doesn’t seem like a viable option.”
Stone Barns wants to stop the loss of farmers, farmland and rural economies. Our way of contributing is through our Growing Farmers Initiative, which is designed to increase the number of sustainable small and mid-size farms, especially in the Northeast.
Through the Growing Farmers Initiative, we equip young farmers with the knowledge and hands-on experience to grow better-tasting, healthier food, and to become responsible stewards of the land. We seek to remove the barriers that stand in the way of their success, whether those comprise access to land, prohibitive capital costs, or marketing and distribution challenges.
Traditionally, farming knowledge was passed down from generation to generation. Today, many young people entering the field did not grow up on farms and are eager to learn directly from seasoned farmers. Stone Barns makes this possible for young farmers during every season of the year, offering paid, full-time apprenticeships to young people who are committed to working the land. Farm apprentices are given real responsibilities and gain practical knowledge on everything it takes to run a farm. Apprentices also benefit from networking opportunities with other farmers, apprentices and interns through weekly visits to other farms in the Hudson Valley.
Stone Barns also reaches hundreds of more young farmers across the region every year with conferences and hands-on workshops that increase their technical knowledge and share lessons learned at our farm. The annual Young Farmers Conference is the most prominent of these events, providing a forum for hundreds of new or transitioning farmers to network with peers and learn from leaders in the field. Workshops are taught by seasoned farmers, and topics have included securing farmland, financing a farm, and launching a grass-based dairy farm. Recognizing that farming is by nature a solitary profession, our conferences and workshops provide invaluable opportunities for young farmers to share ideas and learn from each other.
Stone Barns Center’s Growing Farmers Initiative programs are presented with generous support from:
The 1772 Foundation
Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation
Newman’s Own Foundation
New World Foundation
Wallace Genetic Foundation
Westchester Community Foundation
