Re:A growing number of young Americans are leaving desk jobs...
by cardamomo on Friday November 24, 2017 @03:10PM
(#15772755)
I think this is a hugely important point. The article highlights some of the systematic hurdles facing would-be farmers, including the cost of land and student loan payments. However, it also highlights some possible solutions.
This is a throwaway point in the article, but I think it's key to imagining a food system and economy that can support this kind of farm:
> Young farmers are also creating their own “food hubs,” allowing them to store, process and market food collectively, and supply grocery and restaurant chains at a price competitive with national suppliers.
Sure, monetary wealth from corporate desk jobs may be necessary to fund farms right now, but small farmers have a lot more power to shape our food system when they band together. Agricultural cooperatives have a long history in the United States [0] and may have a role to play in keeping the new crop of small farmers in business.
This is a throwaway point in the article, but I think it's key to imagining a food system and economy that can support this kind of farm:
> Young farmers are also creating their own “food hubs,” allowing them to store, process and market food collectively, and supply grocery and restaurant chains at a price competitive with national suppliers.
Sure, monetary wealth from corporate desk jobs may be necessary to fund farms right now, but small farmers have a lot more power to shape our food system when they band together. Agricultural cooperatives have a long history in the United States [0] and may have a role to play in keeping the new crop of small farmers in business.
[0] http://www.uwcc.wisc.edu/whatisacoop/History/#Development_in...