HELPING LANDOWNERS HELP NEW FARMERS: INCENTIVE PROGRAMS AND OTHER LEGAL TOOLS FOR TRANSITIONING LAND TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF FARMERS

摘要

The increasing average age of American farmers may not surprise many people, but it should be cause for concern. The average age of farm operators in the United States increased from 54.3 years in 1997 to 57.1 years in 2007,close to thirty percent offarm operators were age sixty-five or older. Meanwhile, people of all ages are expressing a desire to make their living as farmers. This new generation of farmers is a diverse lot. Some come to farming througe what many consider the traditional route-growing up in an agricultural family and wanting to take over the family farm,or a portion of it. Other new farmers grew up in the same agrarian environmer, first pursued professional careers away from the farm,and are now seeeking to return to an agrarinanlife-style. Finaly, other new farmers perhaps never set foot on a farm, but have been invigorated by the local and sustainable foods movement to take food and nutri-tion into their own hands. Whether an agronomy student hoping to someday take on the family farm, a prodigal farm kid returning to their roots, a suburbanite disenchanted with the nine-to-five routine, a military veteran with limited job prospects,or some combination thereof, substantial challenges face new and be-ginning farmers and ranchers.