Access to New Farmland Challenging for New Farmers

The USDA recently released a study on farmland transition practices, and it could indicate challenges for beginning farmers.

USDA Economist Dan Bigelow said 80 percent of all rented farmland is owned by non-farm owners who often have worked for a long time with their tenants.

“From the perspective of beginning farmers and ranchers who may be looking to gain access to land, it could potentially be a significant barrier to gaining that access if they’re not able to break into this rental market that’s sort of characterized by these long-term, existing relationships.”

Nearly 40 percent of all farmland is rented out to a producer in the U.S.