I hear frequently that there is a lack of youth in
agriculture and that the industry doesn't know what to do to increase the
interest in the youth.
My response has always been that the interest on the youth
side is there, but what do we have to work with?
If you are on a multi-generational farm then the problems
are usually different than if you are starting from scratch. Mostly what I see
is a lack on the part of the aging farmer to let the younger farmer get more of
a leg up. I don’t want anything to be handed to us, I just want to see some
hope at the end of the tunnel.
So when this article came through in a BEEF Cow-Calf Weekly
email, I couldn't wait to read it. “Opinion: Is A Lack of Opportunity Or Commitment Keeping Young People Out of Ag?”
I totally agree that people romanticize farming and ranching
and when it comes down to it, they don’t always want to put the effort forth
that is required. But for those of us who live and breathe Agriculture and can
see ourselves someday running our own spread, it can be difficult to read the
following words:
“Why are so few of these would-be farm and ranch owners
willing to settle for the next best thing: gainful employment or a
professional, for-profit farm or ranch like mine? If they want real
responsibility and real control over real assets, they can have that here.”
Now, I've only been a hired hand in a few places, but I can
tell you that many times my opinion was not wanted, needed, or even remotely
heard. So is it really fair to say that hired hands have any sort of
responsibility? At the end of the day, no matter how fantastic they are, they
will still have to have your permission to make many important decisions.
Level of Commitment is What Is Lacking
He charges the youth with not wanting to improve themselves
once they get out of college, for not going to Extension meetings, trade shows,
etc. Correct me if maybe I’m not the norm but isn’t that a load of bull?
I get at least 5 emails (many times more) a day from the
major Ag outlets like BEEF, PorkNetwork, National Hog Farmer, AgWeb, Progessive
Cattlemen, Agriculture.com, and the list goes on. Seriously. In the span of 4
months I hit the NCBA meetings, World Pork Expo, and a regional farm show in
Wisconsin. I am immersed in Ag news and happenings day in and day out.
But all of that immersion has still not magically opened up
the gate of buying my own farm. Yes I am still in grad school and I would like
to gain more experience by seeing how other operations are run before I embark
on my own journey, but I haven’t found the rainbow that leads to my farm yet.
But let’s face it, I am dead broke. I barely get by each
month. I want to pay off my current debt before I fall headfirst into debt
trying to start my own farming operation.
Does that mean I lack commitment? Does the fact that I don’t
want to work for somebody else for the rest of my life make me a horrible
person?
I’m going to put it this way. Farming and ranching can be
really tough to get into. It’s expensive, it’s a huge initial capital drain, and
sometimes it takes a lot of time at an off-farm job to pay for that dream. But
the biggest obstacle I see is the condescension from some of the older
generation. They complain about the youth being lazy and having no ambition…but
ya know what? I bet the generation
before them said the exact same thing about them!
Just because we don’t do things the same way they have been
done forever does not make us less ambitious or less willing to sacrifice. It
just shows that times have changed and we are trying to change with them.
What really frustrates me is that a lot of the old farmers
are just not willing to step down and let the younger generations have a go at
it. There is one old farmer near Cody who is so crippled and in such bad shape
he should have let the youth take over a couple of years ago, but he just
refuses to let go.
I can’t say I won’t be any different in my old age. But you
can’t complain about the youth not wanting to do anything and then turn around
and make sure they don’t have an opportunity because you are knowingly and
bull-headedly blocking the way.
When I worked for Dave I was lucky because he let me throw
my two cents in all the time and we would discuss decisions. But even then my
two cents weren’t always appreciated and were frequently shot down. And at the
end of the day I saw limited growth opportunities so I set out to experience
other situations.
I really just have a hard time believing a lack of
commitment is the problem. It is just not that simple.
I read a recent article in National Hog Farmer (I will
update this tomorrow once I have the issue in hand to give you more details)
about a hog farm that was owned by employees and they shared equipment, could
buy manure from the farm for their crops and then turn around and sell the
crops back to the corporation. After a couple of years of working for the farm,
there was always the option to buy into being an owner of the farm. As far as I
can see, this is the best option for all of us young people who are willing to
work for others but eventually want to be more than just the hired hand (no
matter how important or how cherished).
Sure, maybe in some cases it is a lack of commitment. But I
don’t think it is fair to downplay all of the obstacles that stand in the way.
The resources available for new farmers and ranchers are increasing (grants and
programs through USDA, local Farm Bureaus, state Departments of Ag, etc) but it
still won’t be easy.
I guess all we young hopefuls can do is keep dreaming, keep
learning, and keep working hard. Someday it will pay off, right?
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