Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program a starting point for getting farmland to next generation — Opinion
Agricultural land is changing hands, aging farmers want to see their legacy continued, and qualified beginning farmers and ranchers are ready to take it on.
How do beginning farmers and ranchers connect with the record number of retiring producers? What should be a straightforward question with a straightforward answer isn’t always so simple.
Recent research by Oregon State University, Portland State University and Rogue Farm Corps found that the average age of Oregon’s farmers and ranchers is nearly 60, higher than it’s ever been. As a result, 64 percent of Oregon’s farmland — 10.45 million acres — will change hands in the next 20 years.
eClips 