Census: Farmers are aging but young farmer numbers are growing

U.S. farmers, ranchers, and producers are steadily growing older. Nearly 1.3 million farmers are now at or past the age of retirement. Meanwhile, just 300,000 farmers are under the age of 35.

The average age of farmers increased from 56.3 to 57.5 between 2012 and 2017, and according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture data, it has increased to 58.1 years of age. And, those farmers have been at it for a while — the average length of time on the job was 23.4 years.

As legacy producers retire, it’s no secret that the U.S. needs the next generation to take on the critical business of providing food,...