WASHINGTON, D.C. – While the most recent Census of Agriculture found a decrease in the number of all producers, the number of those age 34 and younger rose from 2017 to 2022.

Young farmers increased 3.9 percent to 296,480, according to Virginia Harris, a statistician with the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. In total, the nation had 3,374,044 producers. The 2022 census defined young farmers as those age 34 or younger. In 2017, they were defined as 35 or younger.

Austin and Payton Sinders – he’s 31, she’s 29 – are young farmers in Clay County, Ind. They raise corn, soybeans and winter wheat with Austin’s father, Rusty. Austin and Payton have a small hay and straw business, and a small herd of beef cattle. Austin said Payton sells eggs from their chicken flock, and she’s working on starting a u-pick strawberry and blueberry patch.

“I haven’t always had a passion for agriculture like I do now,” Austin told Farm World. “I was heavy into sports when I was younger and didn’t have much interest in the farm until I went to college. That is where my passion really started to grow to be more involved on our farm.”

Austin and Payton are the Indiana Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ag Professionals district 7 representatives.

Their farm’s diverse nature allows Austin the opportunity to educate others about what they are doing differently than most. They do a lot of cover cropping, cattle grazing and rotating, and some special grains, he said.

“I love the atmosphere around farming,” he explained. “I also really enjoy getting to raise my three kids on the farm where my grandma, father and I grew up. They are the sixth generation to live in the farmhouse my wife and I recently purchased from my parents. It makes me super proud to get to share and instill the importance of what we do in my kids every single day and why these things really matter to everyone around us.”

Sinders said he also enjoys the community around farming. There is always someone to connect with, even if they didn’t grow up with farming, he added.

“As far as things I don’t enjoy, I would say there is always going to be things we don’t enjoy within a profession,” Sinders said. “But those are the things we learn from and they build character. Normally the things we don’t enjoy are the things that need done the most, and I think overcoming that is very important.

“I will say I really do not enjoy cleaning out grain bins if you are going to twist my arm for an answer.”

Austin said he and Payton faced some obstacles while getting into farming.

“Capitol is obviously a big one here,” he said. “Starting my own hay and straw business has taught me a lot. Being patient and content with what you have and what you can afford has been a big learning curve for me.

“Also learning how/where to market products can be difficult as well. It has taken me five plus years to build a customer base for the square bales we make and keeping those relationships strong can be challenging at times with rising input and labor costs.”

Sinders said growing up on an already operating farm has been a huge blessing to not have many obstacles in that respect.

Participating in farm bureau has given him a greater ability to talk to and learn from other farmers and people in the industry. Between the conferences and network of people he has met in the last few years by getting involved, the organization has been very beneficial, Sinders pointed out.

“In our area, most people are very receptive to answering questions even if we might be in direct competition,” he said.

Sinders said he tells his workers when putting up hay that he won’t make them do anything he wouldn’t do himself. “I love being able to work with the hands and mind God gave me and I thank Him every day for that. I think farmers were put on this earth to take care of it and everyone on it. I would absolutely do it 100 times over even if I knew how hard it really can be sometimes.”

The 2022 census found the largest increases in the number of young farmers were in the Midwest and the Great Lakes states, Harris said. Young farmers in Iowa were up 19.4 percent; in Michigan, up 16.4 percent; Ohio, up 11.5 percent; Illinois, up 7.9 percent; Indiana, up 7 percent; Kentucky, down 4.6 percent; and Tennessee, down 2.3 percent.

The concentration of young farmers is greater in the northern U.S. than in the south, she said. Harris spoke Feb. 15 during the 2024 Agricultural Outlook Forum in Arlington, Va.

“Young producers may be running their own farm, or they may be involved in a farming operation with other producers whether they’re family members or others,” Harris said. “Young producers are much more likely than other age groups to make decisions regarding livestock. On average, young producers, though, participated in fewer decisions than older producers.”

Young producers also participated less in estate or succession planning than older producers, she noted.

The USDA’s beginning farmer and rancher development program provides funds which support education, mentoring and technical assistance initiatives for beginning farmers and ranchers, the agency said. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/funding-opportunities/beginning-farmer-rancher-development-program.

The Young Farmer Grant Program through the National Young Farmers Coalition provides funding to young and beginning farmers and ranchers. For details, visit www.youngfarmers.org/youngfarmergrants/.