Technology, temporary help keeps farmers on job longer
ALEXANDRIA, IND. >> At 79 years old, Art McManus says he’s still able to hop on the tractor and maintain the 160 acres of cherry trees at his orchard in Traverse City, Michigan.
His children have gone on to start lives of their own, though he gets some help running his farmers market from his daughter-in-law. But he hires seasonal help to keep the cherry operation moving. “I’ve been at it all my life,” he says. “I enjoy it.”
For McManus and many farmers across the country, assistive technology, help from seasonal hires and family members, and a general improvement in the health of U.S. seniors in recent decades have helped them remain productive well into their 60s, 70s and beyond.
Farmers staying on the job longer can restrict land options of younger farmers, making it harder for beginners to crack into the industry, experts say. They worry that without the older farmers, there might not be enough younger people interested in agriculture to support America’s food production needs.
“It’s a problem,” says Milt McGiffen, an agronomist, plant physiologist and researcher at the University of California, Riverside. “There isn’t a magic bullet to fix it. And the other problem is you have less people going into ag and you need more food coming out the other end” with a growing U.S. population.
In the U.S. last year, the median age for domestic farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers was 56.4 years old. That’s the highest median age of any major occupation tracked by the government’s Current Population Survey for which data was available. The age has ticked up by half a year since 2012, despite the median age of the entire labor force falling slightly over the same period.
Nearly 29 percent of farmers were at least 65 years of age last year, and less than 13 percent were under the age of 35. Experts say steep equipment costs, limited land availability and competition from older farmers are among the reasons younger workers struggle to establish themselves.
“With the cost of land and equipment, I don’t know how you can make it work (as a young farmer). It’ll cost $1 million to get into it,” McManus says.
Agriculture’s age imbalance and the barriers to entry for young farmers have not gone unnoticed by U.S. lawmakers. A House panel plans a hearing Thursday to start addressing the challenges faced by new farmers.
ter serve our customers,” Gelsinger said.
Werley has served the financial needs of the agricultural community for more than 25 years, she said. Gelsinger joined the Tompkins VIST team in October 2018.
“Tompkins VIST is committed to the agricultural community and is dedicated to expanding these efforts,” she said, adding that the bank has agricultural customers throughout the tri-county region.
Gelsinger said agricultural lending is unique, because of the strong personal connection that comes from farm families living and raising their families at their place of business, adding that the bank takes that into consideration when looking to identify the right options.
“We evaluate agricultural business differently because collateral includes — and isn’t limited to — farms, equipment, livestock and feed inventories,” she said. “Due to the complexity, we strive to provide tailored financial solutions that are appropriate on a case-by-case basis.”