Barriers to Farming
Some of my earliest childhood memories are playing with toy tractors on the living room floor. My brother and I would turn the entire room into fields, reenacting what we grew up knowing a successful farm looked like. As we grew older, our play evolved into reality, and we found ourselves operating real farm equipment. The more time I spent working on our family farm, the more it shaped my future in the agricultural industry. Over the years, my siblings and I became increasingly involved in the day-to-day operations, and now, as my parents look toward the future, they are carefully planning how to pass the farm down to the next generation.

The transition to the next generation is both an intimidating and exciting milestone for many families in agriculture. It comes with its share of challenges, especially as the industry continues to evolve and face increasingly difficult obstacles including availability of land, financing options, and the rising costs of input prices. Young and beginning farmers must now be more prepared than ever to begin their career, possessing not only the skills and institutional knowledge passed down through generations, but also the willingness to adapt to an ever-changing agricultural landscape.
Since 2017 the farmland in Oregon has decreased by 4 percent. Historically, incoming farmers looking to start an operation or expand their family’s current operation competed for land against their neighbors and other farmers. Today, that competition still exists, but beginning farmers are also competing for land against developers, green energy, and urban sprawl. With the high competition for land, opportunities for young farmers to invest in or grow their operation declines.
Acquiring financing as a young or beginning farmer is another challenge. These individuals have often not had the chance to accumulate funds for payments and generally do not have the credit needed to obtain financing. Higher interest rates are an added cost for farmers who can acquire loans. Young farmers planning to inherit land may still run into financial difficulties, as estate taxes can run high with farmland, equipment, equity, and retirement funds. In some cases, heirs may be required to pay a 40 percent tax.

The continued rising cost of input is an additional barrier that young and beginning farmers face. Since the COVID pandemic, crop inputs like fertilizer, fuel, and chemicals have increased, making the cost of production higher than the market price of wheat. Additionally, supply chain disruptions during the pandemic caused shortages of equipment and parts, increasing the costs due to continued demand. While production has increased since then, prices have yet to come back down, causing operating prices to remain high.

The average age of the American farmer is 58 years old. This is not sustainable for the American agricultural industry. In a 2015 survey by AgAmerica, more than 38 percent of the respondents planned to sell or transition the farm to the next generation. However, only 23 percent of them had a plan to accomplish that. Farm families, and young and beginning farmers need more resources available to not only guide this transition, but provide more options for land investment, financing, and input expenses. The survival of the American family farmer is dependent on the next generation’s ability to successfully transition into this role.

2025 Wheat Scholarship Essay: Mason Orem