The
Census of Agriculture found that the
average age of farmers has risen from 57.1 to 58.3 from 2007 to 2012, and the number of farmers 75 or older has risen from 243,472 to 257,697. In response,
Agri-Pulse, a Washington newsletter, asked its readers to "tell us about bright young people they’ve seen at work in recent years—men and women under 50 from across the nation, involved in all types of
crop and livestock operations—who are stepping into leadership roles, spreading the word about what
matters to rural America and promoting causes important to today’s agricultural and rural," Ann Tracy Mueller writes for the newsletter. Agri-Pulse selected 50 farmers to highlight. To see the entire list,
click here. Here are some that made the list:
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| Ryan Bivens |
Ryan Bivens, 35, Hodgenville, Ky., is a first-generation
farmer, growing soybeans, corn and wheat.
Bivens grew up hearing farmers couldn’t make it
unless they were in a farm family or married into it, but he got his
start growing corn and soybeans as an
FFA project.
When Bivens finished college, got married and was ready to farm
full-time, he ran an ad in the paper advertising that a young,
energetic farmer was looking for land to rent. The ad was
answered, and he was soon farming 500 acres. Bivens made sure land he farmed looked sharp and put roadside signs
in his fields touting “another quality crop” from Bivens Farms.
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| Ben Boyd |
Ben Boyd, 37, Sylvania, Ga., whose family has farmed in
Georgia for five generations on one side and six on the other, has
a farming operation diversified beyond his main crop, cotton. He
also raises cattle, corn, hay, oats, peanuts, rye, soybeans and
wheat. Boyd says he, his wife and one-year-old son live “13 miles
from a Coke or a gallon of gas.”
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| Tamara Choat |
Tamara Choat, 36, Terry, Mont., and her husband raise cattle
and horses and own a butcher shop and meat processing plant. She and her husband left corporate jobs in Indianapolis three years
ago to move to Montana to raise cattle. They’re now raising young
children as well and running their meat processing business.
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| Miguel Diaz |
Miguel Diaz, 27, Alamosa, Colo., raises potatoes and barley
and serves on the National Potato Council board of directors.
Diaz admits that as a student he didn’t pay much attention in
government class in high school, but he understands today the
importance of getting his industry’s grassroots messages to
lawmakers and their staffs throughout the year.
He credits some of this understanding to his industry’s program to
help develop young leaders, the Potato Industry Leadership
Institute. Diaz says, “Leadership programs
are amazing!”
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| Odessa Oldham |
Odessa Oldham, 22, Lander, Wyo., a member of the Navajo
tribe, started raising her own sheep herd when she was three years
old. These days she has 200 head of cattle, attends the
University
of Wyoming and works to encourage and inspire the next
generation of Native American farmers.
While in high school, Oldham was the first Native American to
run for the National FFA board.
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