New Farmers & Food Businesses
Are there new farmers and food entrepreneurs entering the workforce in King County?
WHY IT MATTERS
WHAT WE KNOW
- The average age of a farmer in the United States is 58 years and the influx of new and beginning farmers into the workforce low (USDA Census of Agriculture). In order to continue feeding King County residents with local food, we need to build an agricultural workforce in our county.
- New Farmers may not necessarily be beginning farmers -- they may be
WHAT WE KNOW
- The USDA currently defines a new farmer or rancher as "those who have operated a farm or ranch for 10 years or less either as a sole operator or with others who have operated a farm or ranch for 10 years or less." As such, new farmers counted in the census may not be new to farming at all. They may be well-seasoned farmers such as seasonal workers, migrant workers, or immigrants who have simply never been sole or joint operators in the United States.
- The thread fund is currently working with Seattle Tilth, King Conservation District, Department of Natural Resources and Parks, and others to articulate a new farmer definition and metric for King County.