Ranching and farming dying out in high plains, USA

Monday, April 6, 2015

A heavily researched demographic study, published in the journal Rangeland, predicts there will be no ranchers and farmers under the age of 35 in the state of Wyoming by 2033.

Published by the Society For Range Management, the article could not be more pessimistic about the future of agriculture in the High Plains of the Western United States.

A county by county examination of demographic trends from nearly 100 years of census information shows there's often no one for aging operators to pass the farm to. Currently, more than half of farm operators are older than 55; fewer and fewer people 34 years of age and younger are attracted to the business.

The study can be read online at: www.srmjournals.org/doi/full/10.2111/Rangelands-D-14-00035.1
"The relative proportions of younger operators are dwindling rapidly . . . We face a fundamental challenge in inspiring young agriculturalists to take up residence in the state to help replace those of retirement age."

The "prohibitive" cost of generational land transfer is cited as one reason to sell out rather than pass on. In the United States, "in the United States, farmers with a new inheritance often owe more in taxes than they have in liquid assets." Corporatization would still allow for farming, but the writers note that 24 million acres of farmland in the United States has been "urbanized" between 1982 to 2010: an astounding 1.64 acres per minute. Sounds a bit like Ontario? BF