Farmers Eli Robb and Genesis McKiernan-Allen of Full Hand Farm.
Young & FARMING
First-generation Hoosier farmers come together to build community and ensure sustainable farming By Leah R. Singer | Photography by Sarah Longenecker
O
ver the next several years, America’s farmland will evolve into something quite different than it is today. In fact, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, over the next five years—the lifespan of the next farm bill—nearly 100 million acres of U.S. farmland are expected to change ownership and will need new farmers. This is because the majority of individuals who are farming today are close to retiring, with nearly two-thirds of farmland currently managed by someone over the age of 55. In order to keep food production from falling off, that gap will need to be filled with a new generation of farmers. This is especially true in Indiana. Luckily, there are many people who want to farm, and make a commitment to growing whole and local food. That’s where the Hoosier Young Farmers Coalition (HYFC) is making its mark. HYFC, which is part of the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC), was founded in 2016 by a group of sustainable and organic beginning farmers looking for more connection and camaraderie. Liz and Nate Brownlee of Nightfall Farm (see page 37) run the HYFC. They believe that building the young and beginning farmer
network in Indiana will help eliminate feelings of isolation by creating community, which is one of the most significant ways to ensure a next generation of farming. “Many people think of farmers as being at the markets talking to people all day,” says Liz Brownlee. “But farming can be very lonely, especially if you’re by yourself on three acres.” When the Brownlees started the Hoosier chapter, they decided their goal was to reach young farmers in Indiana and connect them through social events, and provide scholarships to attend national farming conferences. They received funding from Purdue University to launch the HYFC, as well as a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. The Hoosier chapter hosted several inaugural events, including a young farmers pizza party at which 50 farmers attended and socialized. They arranged a traveling film festival at seven Indiana farm locations, and hosted a social event at the Indiana Small Farms Conference in Danville last March. edibleINDY.com
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