Farming is a tough gig. Consumers (you) may not realize what goes on behind the scenes to produce the food we eat. In this post, I highlighted ten reasons NOT to farm. Written as an homage to some of the most persistent and tough people I know.

 

 

The stereotypical image of the old farmer is actually closer to fact than fiction. The average age of the American farmer, according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, is 58.3 years. Farmers I’ve spoken to aren’t encouraging their children to stay on the farm. “No, in fact, I’ve strongly encouraged them to find jobs away from the farm.” says an Arkansas farmer I visited with at a recent event. The reasons this generation of farmers are discouraging the next are varied and personal, but let’s use what we know to surmise what may be driving this trend. Here are ten reasons NOT to farm: