The availability of land and overall profitability continue to be the top concerns of America’s young farmers and ranchers. However, the majority of young farmers say they are better off financially than they were five years ago.

Those are just a few of the key findings of an informal survey of young farmers and ranchers, ages 18-35, from across the United States, conducted by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).  Overall, the 15th annual survey of participants in AFBF’s Young Farmer & Rancher Program, conducted in February during the 2007 YF&R conference, shows that the future of American agriculture is in competent and caring hands. Despite challenges, today’s young farmers and ranchers are continuing to invest in new technology and business practices to sharpen their competitive edge, while providing for their families and communities, and protecting the environment.

Says Marcos Moore, chair for Arizona Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers: “Considering that we grew up surrounded by the latest technology, and literally trained at birth to use it effectively, we, the young farmers and ranchers of America, are the one’s developing and implementing the new technologies and business practices that sharpen our competitive edge in agriculture. We provide for our families and communities around the world while protecting the environment is like second nature. In fact, the business community should expect to see exponential breakthroughs in agricultural technologies, especially due to the current demands for biofuels and renewable energy in general.”

ldquo;The survey results show that young farmers and ranchers in general are optimistic about the future of agriculture, otherwise we wouldn’t see a place for our children in farming and ranching,” said AFBF YF&R Chair Chris Chinn, a hog producer from Clarence, Mo.

For the second straight year, the vast majority of young farmers and ranchers (79 percent) said they were more optimistic about farming than they were five years ago. In 2002 less than 60 percent were optimistic. In addition, when asked if they felt better off financially than they were five years ago, 85 percent said “yes,” down from last year’s record 91 percent and up sharply from the survey’s low of 70 percent in 2000.

As professional opportunities continue to abound, the percentage of young farmers who envision their professions as lifelong (92 percent) remained high. The highest-ever number in this area was nearly 100 percent (99.5 percent) in 1995. While more young farmers (44 percent) started their profession by being raised in a farming family, 30 percent started on their own, which is the highest ever in the survey’s 15-year history. In addition, the percentage of young farmers who would like to see their children follow in their footsteps (93 percent) also remained high despite economic challenges.

For the second straight year, young farmers said availability of land and facilities was their top concern (29 percent). Just two years ago, only 5 percent deemed it their top challenge. In addition, 56 percent listed it as among their top three concerns. These findings reflect the growing demand for U.S. farmland. Like last year, the young farmers indicated overall profitability was their second biggest challenge, selected by 23 percent.

That’s up from 18 percent in 2006 and down sharply from 36 percent in 2000, which marked the highest ever. Also like last year, urbanization and loss of farmland was the third biggest challenge. Thirteen percent of respondents listed it as their number one challenge, while 36 percent ranked it as among their top three. Over the survey’s 15-year history, this challenge was never ranked among the top three until 2003, indicating that concerns are intensifying.

“It is clear that our young farmers and ranchers have growing concerns regarding open space and the availability of farmland,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “The issue of property rights is a critical issue facing American agriculture. Not only farmers and ranchers, but anyone who enjoys open land needs to join in protecting landowners.”

When asked to choose three steps from a list of 13 that could be taken to help their operations, 22 percent said more financial help in getting started was their first choice. Forty-five percent listed it among the top three steps that could be taken to help young farmers. Respondents this year said the second most important action (16 percent) government could take to help them was to strengthen protections for property owners. This item has been among the top three in all surveys since its inception. Rounding out the three most important steps that can be taken to ensure the present and the future of agriculture, according to young farmers and ranchers, is federal tax reform (11 percent).

The vast majority of young farmers and ranchers (63 percent) said farm income should come “totally from the marketplace,” while 37 percent said farm income should be supplemented by farm program payments. Last year 79 percent of respondents indicated they wanted sole reliance on the marketplace. This question was first added to the survey in 1996, when 88 percent of respondents wanted to rely only on the marketplace for farm income.

Young farmers are taking advantage of technology with nearly all (90 percent) owning a computer and utilizing the Internet (87 percent). Most respondents who have access to the Internet use it to stay current on markets and general news affecting agriculture (70 percent) while 51 percent use it for record keeping. 

Mirroring past surveys, this year’s respondents reported a strong commitment to conservation and the use of environmentally beneficial farming practices. Fifty-seven percent said they employ conservation tillage on their farms. Nearly half (47 percent) said they regularly test soil or crop tissue prior to the application of nutrients. And 46 percent utilize crop rotation practices with three or more commodities.

When quizzed about their opinions regarding the public’s attitude toward farmers and ranchers, 41 percent said they thought the public would weigh in positively, 23 percent said the public would respond negatively and 35 percent said they thought members of the public generally did not think about them at all.

The American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmer and Rancher program includes both men and women between the ages of 18-35. The objective of the Young Farmer and Rancher program is to provide leadership in building a more effective Farm Bureau to preserve our individual freedoms and expand our opportunities in agriculture.