Eric Neill always wanted to be a farmer. So in 2008, he made the leap, launching a midsize grazing dairy operation in western Missouri. (Photo by Frank Morris/Harvest Public Media)
The number of very small farms has increased rapidly in recent years. Very large farms are also on the rise, and now account for most of U.S. agricultural production. But farms in the middle, medium-sized, self-sustaining family farms, have declined dramatically. So does that mean the farmer of the future will either be part of an enormous operation, or... the owner of a small hobby farm? Not necessarily. A few people are finding ways to break into mid-level production agriculture. Wrapping up Harvest Public Media’s week-long series on the “ Farmer of the Future,” Frank Morris spoke to one of them.
This series on the Farmer of the Future is part of a reporting project called Harvest Public Media. Learn more at HarvestPublicMedia.org.
Farmer of the Future Series - Part 1: Blending of Cultures May be Blueprint for Growth
Farmer of the Future Series - Part 2: Robots on the Farm
Farmer of the Future Series - Part 3: The Sustainable Hand
Farmer of the Future Series - Part 4: Who You Calling a Corporate Farmer?