Food and the Future: Helping USDA
Create 100,000 New Farms
Prof. Neil D. Hamilton, Director, Agricultural
Law Center, and Opperman Distinguished
Professor of Law, Drake University Law School
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Tending the Seeds: The Emergence of a New
Agriculture in the U.S. in the inaugural issue
of our Drake Journal of Agricultural Law
(1996)
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Eight Forces Shaping the Future of
Our Food and Farming System
The increasing number of people interested in farming
The growing interest in “food policy”
The expanding forms of direct farm marketing
Consumer interest in better foods
The growth in urban agriculture
Attention to child obesity, nutrition and school food
Food artisans and food as economic development
Concern about farmland ownership and sustainable land
tenure
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New Interest in Farming
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
New Farmers – Helping create the
next generation of farmers
Drake Undertakes Policy Project to Support New
and Beginning Farmers
Secretary Challenges Congress to Set Goal of
Creating 100,000 New Farms
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Fifteen Ways USDA Can Help Create
100,000 New Farmers
1. Make it a priority of USDA
– Set a goal, mobilize energy of Dept. (similar to
Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food);
communicate goal to Congress
– But also make issue important to other levels of
government, e.g. local officials, state departments
of agriculture
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
2. Make it a priority of food and agriculture
organizations
– There is a proliferation of “food” organizations
and we need them to focus their attention on who
is going to raise all this healthy food consumers
and communities desire
– New farmer issues need to be central to their work,
e.g., land trusts, farmers markets and local food
policy councils
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3. Focus on markets, products, profits and
building successful businesses
– We need to treat these new farms as businesses:
integrate business training, profitable markets, and
record keeping into the support programs for new
farm operations
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
4. Recognize new farmers as part of the existing
farm economy
We have to address the needs and opportunities
for existing farms while also considering new
farmers. If profits and opportunities are there,
then it makes it more attractive and possible
for the next generation to farm.
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
5. Create new farmers in the context of
comprehensive rural and urban development
strategies
– It is not just new farmers but also new food based
businesses opportunities, e.g. KYF2/Great Regions
– Seize interest in healthy food and support for better
infrastructure, e.g. processing and handling
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
6. Do a better job of using the program and
policy tools USDA has for new farmers
• BFRDP grants, FSA youth loans, role of
Extension
• New Office of Advocacy and Outreach needs
to get on top of and in front of these issues
• Idea of New Farmer agents at the county level.
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7. Harness the energy and success of
organizations working on new farmers
Some things work well, e.g. incubator farms,
New Farmer training, individual development
accounts (IDA), expanding urban agriculture,
and land link efforts
The key is to learn from the current efforts and
build on them
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8. Be innovative and creative in using existing
USDA programs to create new farm efforts
– Single most important step USDA took for new
farmers in 2010 was the NRCS hoop house pilot
program
– The key question is what similar opportunities
exist to use existing USDA programs to support
new farmers and how to promote innovation [this
is where the 100,000 new farmer goal comes in]
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
9. Focus on addressing the critical challenges for
new farmers by linking with other partners,
e.g., landowner and consumers
– Linking with other groups in agriculture will help
address issues such as land access, training and
finance; and health insurance availability.
– There are opportunities with each of these issues,
e.g. land trusts as a source of land, and creative
ways to address the farm labor issue such as farm
schools
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
10. Embrace Urban Agriculture as part of USDA
and as key opportunity for new farmers
– The USDA needs an Office of Urban Agriculture,
e.g. Kaptur bill, and it needs to acknowledge urban
agriculture as a legitimate part of its agenda
– USDA can help coordinate urban agriculture
efforts with other federal agencies, such as HUD,
HHS, and CDC
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11. Focus on New Farmers in the 2012 Farm bill
– 2008 farm bill included important ideas, creating
opportunities for real focus on new farmers
– Make new farmer issues part of the future debate,
key is to identify and surface issues for
consideration. Fighting to preserve funding will be
critical due to the lack of baseline for many
programs
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12. Empower the people, young and old who want to
farm – promote farming and gardens as public service
Harness the ideas, energy, creativity and capital of those
who want to farm, to help build new farms and
stronger communities.
The key to recognize the tens of thousands who want to
farm and to help empower them to find their
opportunity. Programs like the Food Corps which
use school gardens as a form of public service are an
important step.
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13. Expanding opportunities for direct farm
marketing
The most valuable form of support for new
farmers is to expand opportunities to market
products directly to consumers. Programs to
support and expand farmers markets, CSA’s,
and institutional purchasing, such as farm to
school efforts, are critical to supporting new
operations.
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
14. Expand access and use of nutrition programs
focused on fresh produce
Growing demand for healthy foods and the
attention to improving nutrition have lead to
innovative efforts to expand the connection
between food assistance programs and local
farmers. Expanding the use of SNAP and EBT
at farmers markets and similar efforts create
more demand and opportunity for new
farmers.
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
15. Focus on veterans as potential new farmers
A larger portion of America’s veterans come
from rural communities and many of them
would like the opportunity to become farmers.
By providing special programs to help
transition from combat boots to cowboy boots
the nation can promote a new generation of
farmers.
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Farmers Markets
The growth in farmers markets and ways for consumers
to connect with farmers is transforming farm
economics and linking people to those who help feed
them. In August the USDA released a new report
showing there are over 6000 farmers markets in the
country now. In May a Iowa Department of
Agriculture and Land Stewardship survey showed
Iowa’s 223 farmers markets contributed close to $60
million in direct sales and an additional $12 million in
personal income to Iowa’s economy in 2009.
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Food Policy
Local food policy councils – create forums for citizens
to improve how the food economy works – from food
access to sustainable design. The idea is to empower
a group of representatives from across the food
system to propose policies changes to local officials.
Many communities implementing plans to increase
urban agriculture rely on recommendations of food
policy councils. Many states have such efforts, for
example in August Massachusetts approved Chapter
277 of the Acts of 2010, establishing the
Massachusetts Food Policy Council.
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Urban Agriculture
Local food systems and community actions on zoning,
food policy councils and urban agriculture
– Seattle City Council Joins Ranks of Cities
Implementing Ordinances Designed to Promote
Urban Agriculture
– Kansas City Missouri Amends City Ordinance to
Promote Urban Agriculture
– CBS Sunday Morning Feature on Urban Farms
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White House Support is Critical
The President and First Lady’s support for healthy
eating and ending childhood hunger and obesity, have
been the topic of extensive press coverage, e.g., the
White House Garden. Their efforts have brought new
attention to gardening, food and the relation to
children’s health. Actions include the new farmers
market on Vermont Avenue and the First Lady’s very
public involvement in the debate over childhood
obesity and school food.
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President is leading the way
Drake University Agricultural Law Center
Drake University Agricultural Law Center