From a Wisconsin factory worker becoming a dairy farmer to a nuclear engineer getting into cattle ranching in Texas there are signs that more people in their 20s and 30s are going into farming. Enrollment in university agriculture programs has increased, as has interest in farmer-training programs. Young people are turning up at farmers markets and are using social media to promote their agricultural endeavors and they are citing two reasons for going into farming: Many find the corporate world stifling and see no point in sticking it out when there’s little job security; and demand for locally grown and organic foods has been strong enough that even in the downturn they feel confident they can sell their products.  Agriculture fared better than many parts of the economy during the recession, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts record profits for farmers as a whole this year.  Read more here: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/story/2011-12-24/young-people-farming/52163914/1.

Filed under: General by Agribusiness Center for Excellence Monday, February 13th, 2012