Besides the daunting cost of land and equipment, a growing number of young farmers is starting with the additional burden of college debt, says the Sacramento Bee. “Today … they’re increasingly winning their farm smarts in classrooms or during an internship, and either leasing or buying farmland from non-family members,” writes Edward Ortiz. This represents a shift from earlier generations that started under the sheltering wing of a family member. The National Young Farmers Coalition, an advocacy group, says its survey found that 30 percent of respondents said they delayed entry into farming or gave up the idea because of student debt; 48 percent said student debt prevented them from getting credit or being able to expand their operation.
At UC-Davis, four out of very five students majoring in agricultural or environmental sciences have taken out student loans, said the Bee. The average debt for 2014 graduates with those degrees was nearly $18,000. With college debt, young farmers make tough choices, says the Bee. Sonoma farmer Andrea Davis-Cetin, a Hampshire College alum, says she works 15 hours a week off the farm in order to pay her bills. Tyler Stowers turned 1,200 square feet of his parents’ backyard into a vegetable garden rather than try to buy land while carrying student debt.