Sustainable Agriculture News & Notes

BFROA Initiative Encourages New Agri Entrepreneurs In Aging Population

If you eat and live in America, you should be concerned about the future of farming in this country. The average age of our nation's farmers is 57 years old, with more than a quarter of all farmers 65 or older. There are many people inspired to farm, but as recent studies show, our nation's young and beginning farmers face tremendous obstacles in starting a farming career. With a large segment of existing farmers and ranchers at or beyond retirement age, it is critical that we support those new entrepreneurs who will produce our food in the future.

The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act (BFROA) of 2011 has been introduced in Congress, and it presents a chance to break down the barriers to entry that impede new agriculture entrepreneurs from starting a farming business.

BFROA would improve existing credit programs so young and beginning farmers can access the financing necessary to run their businesses. It would reauthorize important conservation programs that foster new life-long stewards of the land and encourage innovative strategies for land transfer and farm entry. The bill also invests farm bill dollars in training veterans who want to launch a ranching or farming business.

New farmers can produce our nation's food and fiber, protect and enhance our natural resources, and contribute to the revitalization of our rural and urban communities. Please ask your representatives' to support this comprehensive and forward-thinking initiative today.

For more information, visit the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition website.

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As Supply Dwindles, Organic Milk Gets Popular

It seems consumers love organic milk, so much so that there is not enough supply to meet the demand. Why? The cost of organic grain and hay to feed cows has risen sharply but the price farmers receive for their milk has not.

“It’s a double whammy to have higher sales than you expect and less milk,” said George L. Siemon, chief executive of Cropp, the farmers co-op that produces Organic Valley milk and much of the milk sold as supermarket store brands. “We’re sweating bullets over it.”

Reporter William Neuman filed the following story in the New York Times on December 28, 2011.

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Real Food Challenge’s National Summit to Take Place at UC Santa Cruz

The Real Food Challenge is hosting its first national summit, Breaking Ground 2012, at UC Santa Cruz, February 17-20. Says organizer and CASFS food systems education specialist Tim Galarneau, “We’re hosting this space to continue our efforts to connect, uplift, and prepare the next generation of agrifood system leaders to tackle some of the most complex situations in our global food supply chain starting today with their own campuses and communities."

For conference details, see the Real Food Challenge’s Breaking Ground 2012 website. Note that the registration deadline is February 1, 2012.