At the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) annual Washington Watch event in Washington, D.C., Farm Director KC Sheperd had the chance to talk with the National Farmers Union Vice President of Advocacy, Mike Stranz, about the Farm Bill, NFU conventions, and the key takeaways from the latest Census of Agriculture, specifically regarding the next generation of farmers and ranchers.
“Those trends in the Ag Census are not encouraging,” Stranz said. “The total amount of farmers that have gone out of business since 2017 clocking in at about 150,000 just in the five years of the census was really shocking.”
Regarding this decline, Stranz said farmers and ranchers around the country are aware that encouraging the next generation is critical.
“We saw some trends related to that baked into the census, and I think there are some glimmers of hope there in how we can foster that and encourage some growth,” Stranz said.
As NFU advocates for the success of the younger generation in agriculture, Stranz said one of the ways that growth is being promoted is through education.
“We have our Beginning Farmers Institute applications that are being accepted right now, so if you are a beginning farmer or rancher, or even thinking about getting into farming and ranching, we have got a great education opportunity,” Stranz said. “You could be part of a cohort of about 20 others- similarly situated people across the country. There are about ten days of in-person programming via an NFU convention, coming to D.C. for events, some other educational opportunities, along with some virtual meetings in education.”
To learn more about the NFU Beginning Farmers Institute, visit nfu.org/bfi.
NFU’s national convention recently took place in Scottsdale, Arizona. During the convention, policymakers and educators spoke on topics ranging from fair and competitive markets, to cooperatives, engaging the next generation, biofuels, and more.
Stranz said most of the conversations during the 2024 convention centered around the Farm Bill and the continuing wait for it to be completed, as a safety net is of utmost importance.
“There are a lot of variables out there that cause volatility in the agricultural markets, and that is what is so harmful to family farmers and ranchers,” Stranz said. “We need a safety net that is going to address those needs. We have seen some bills come up in the last few weeks on that.”
Other issues discussed at the convention included conservation, Fairness for Farmers, and the need for keeping a Farm Bill coalition strong and united, which Stranz said means people from outside of production agriculture need to be on the same page as the agriculture industry.
Stranz said next year’s NFU convention will take place in Oklahoma City! To visit the NFU website to learn more, CLICK HERE.
