Florida fresh produce grower Jim Alderman says one thing is his biggest worry.
“Who is coming behind us? That’s the part that keeps me up at night. It’s not just about growing crops, it also passing down knowledge, discipline and our way of life,” he said during a recent congressional hearing on the aging workforce in agriculture.
Earlier this year, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) spearheaded a special committee report on America’s Aging Farm Workforce.
Four drivers were highlighted:
- Aging demographics
- Declining farm numbers
- Barriers for new farmers
- Regulatory and economic pressures
As a follow up, on June 4, the senate special committee he oversees had a hearing “America’s Vanishing Family Farms.”
“Unfortunately, the farming and agricultural workforce is aging and nearing retirement, and fewer and fewer young people are looking to take over their family’s farms or enter the agriculture industry,” Sen. Scott said. “We face significant challenges to agricultural production, rural community sustainability, and U.S. food security. Here’s why this matters: U.S. food security is national security.”
Recent stats he points to include:
- 1/3 of farmers and ranchers are over the age of 65
- This same group owns more than 40% of U.S. farmland
- More than 80% of farmers work a second job
- Since 2007, 200,000 farms have disappeared
- The 2022 census showed the loss of over 140,000 farms in 5 years. That’s an average of 77 farms per day.
- Since 2007, more than 40 million acres of farmland is now used for commercial, residential or industrial purposes
- Farmland prices have increased 7% in three years
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) is ranking member on the special committee for aging and said, “To encourage younger generation to returning to Farmer we farming, we must invest in our rural communities.”
Witnesses shared testimony highlighting the pain points, overall trends and discussed potential policy solutions.
“As I travel the country and see farms across our great country, I see a lot of gray hair, and while the wisdom of older generations is critical, we must ensure that we make a way for young and beginning farmers to fill our boots,” said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
What are those policy provisions that could assist with the farm labor issues?
1. The Farm Bill
In his testimony, Duvall shared a getting a farm bill passed by congress is critical to signal stability and predictability in agriculture.
“We need a modernized 5 year farm bill,” he said. “Rising interest rates, higher energy prices, supply costs that have gone unchecked, farmers will plant the most expensive crop ever planted this year, and many have faced a tough decision of whether or not to even plant that crop. This is why the farm bill and its Title One safety net is so critical.”
2. Estate tax provisions
Duvall also highlighted the importance of the estate tax exemption for farmers for transitioning the farm business from one generation to the next. He applauded the House for its consideration of in the One Big Beautiful Bill it recently passed, and encouraged the senate to follow.
3. Farm worker programs, specifically H-2A
“It’s time to modernize our outdated system, and only Congress can meaningfully do that,” Duvall said.
Alderman uses H-2A labor and says reform is a must.
“We are now dependent on H-2A labor from Mexico,” he said. “Without them, we can’t harvest our crops.”
For Alderman in Florida, whereas minimum wage is $12.50/hour, H-2A labor is compensated at $26/hour plus the expense of housing, transportation and visas.
Duvall adds the federal government needs to revisit its wage structure for H-2A labor, citing the wage rates were set by a study done 60 years ago intended to calculate on-farm employment totals, not compensation.
“We’re going to price ourselves out of farming,” he says. Duvall is advocating for an updated program and one that includes year-round provisions for dairy farmers, and other parts of the industry that need full-time labor not just seasonal help.
“How can a young farmer come back to the farm and bring his expertise that he learned in college, expand that farm without having a labor force to do that. It’s one of the biggest limiting factors we have,” Duvall says.
4. Economic stability, risk management and trade.
“The incentive to make a profit isn’t there,” Alderman says. “If the farmer isn’t going to make money, he’s not able to expand his operation.”
Aaron Locker, Managing Director, Kincannon & Reed calls this a quietly unfolding crisis that is rapidly cutting across the agriculture.
“And the consequences for our food supply, our rural communities, and our national security are serious,” he said. “The 1980s farm crisis didn’t just damage balance sheets. It’s changed the interest of being involved in agriculture. That gap is being realized today in board rooms, field office, agronomy teams and more.”
The witnesses answered questions about President Trump’s trade policy and tariffs, with Duvall saying farmers have supported the president’s long-term vision to bring a “level playing field,” but he also says this fall will be a critical time for some progress when farmers are slated to harvest and sell commodities at low prices with high input costs.
5. Regulatory considerations.
Alderman says there are areas of his fresh produce business being over-regulated, which has put extra financial pressure when competing with imported crops. As an example, he points to multiple food safety inspections which could be replaced with a one-time inspection.
And in conjunction with the regulation on his business, he has seen how a lapse in regulatory authority over imported produce inspected at the borders has negatively effected the industry.
“For example, the citrus industry with citrus greening, it’s devastated the cirtrus industry. We have gone from 240 million boxes of oranges in production to around 40 million boxes today,” he said, and added Florida produce growers are introduced with a new thirp or weevil every growing season, which takes months to contain and identify proper controls.
6. Provide mental health resources
Christopher A. Wolf, Ph.D. from Cornell University says its New York FarmNet receives 700 calls a year. Financial stress include price uncertainty, labor cost and availability, capital costs, land access, and estate and succession planning. Family-related farm stressors include health insurance, childcare, eldercare, and drug and alcohol abuse.
“Male farmers have a suicide rate 3.5 times higher than the national,” he said. “Financial stress is one of the primary contributors to the depression and suicide rate. Additionally, mental health stigma and lack of access to care are major barriers.”
