(McLean, Virginia) On Monday, November. 8, Farm Credit Administration Board Chairman and CEO Glen Smith will co-moderate several panels during a symposium for young, beginning, and small (YBS) farmers in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The event features a series of in-depth panel discussions. Audience members will hear from farmers who are getting started in both traditional and nontraditional operations. Attendees, will also learn about financial and risk management resources available to farmers to grow their operations. Smith and Mike Boehm, University of Nebraska vice president and Harlan vice chancellor for UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, will co-moderate the event from 9;00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Symposium is in the Great Plains Room of the Nebraska East Union. The address is 1705 Arbor Drive, Lincoln, NE 68503 (map). The event is free and open to the public.
Young, beginning, and small farmers often face many challenges when starting, and this Symposium will address those challenges. As Chairman Smith noted in a recent statement to the FCA board, “the Farm Credit System has made consistent efforts to serve YBS farmers, but the average age of American farmers has continued to rise. USDA reported in 2017 that the average age of U.S. farm producers was 57.5 years, up 1.2 years from 2012. There is work to be done in continuing to improve and advance the System’s YBS programs. It makes sense from a business development standpoint, and it makes sense for the security of American agriculture.