(Lincoln, Nebraska) On Monday, Farm Credit Board Chairman and CEO Glen Smith co-moderated several panels during a symposium for young and small farmers in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Smith says the Farm Credit System made consistent efforts to serve YBS farmers. Still, the average age of American farmers continues to rise. “We are approaching 58 for the average age of farmers nationwide, “said Smith. “The trend is not changing.”
Smith says everyone is on board politically; we need more young farmers to get into the farming business, not only from the borrower’s side but also from an ag security side. “I appear regularly in front of subcommittees in Congress, and if I want to get everybody in agreement on both sides of the aisle, I talk about help and what we can do to expand the programs to young, beginning, and small farmers,” said Smith. “They are all nodding in agreement, so the political support is there; it’s all about channeling it in the right direction.”
The symposium held earlier this week in Lincoln, Nebraska, featured a series of in-depth panel discussions. Audience members heard from farmers getting started in both traditional and nontraditional operations.
