American agriculture is graying. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the average age of a farmer in the U.S. is now 58. Around a third are already over 65. That begs the question of what happens when those farmers retire? With fewer young people considering careers in agriculture, experts are worried about the future of food production here in the U.S. That’s why the most recent Farm Bill is setting aside more money to train and support fledgling farmers.$750,000 of that money went to Michigan State University’s Organic Farmer Training program.
Current State host Mark Bashore discusses the program and America’s changing agricultural landscape with Jeremy Moghtader, director of the MSU Organic Farm, and Joannee DeBrahl, who went through MSU’s Organic Farming Training program and now runs Stone Coop Farm in Brighton.