Farmers for the Future

Introduction.

Roots of Decline, Reasons for Renewal.

1 Boom and Bust: A Sobering Background for Today's Young Farmers.

2 The Treadmill of Technology: Beginners Have to Run Faster to Catch Up.

3 Rural Boardwalk: How Shared Monopoly Threatens Young Farmers.

4 A Stingy Uncle Sam: Of Billions Spent on Farming, Little Goes to Beginners.

5 Why Support Beginning Farmers? The Public and Small Towns Have a Stake.

What's There to Help Young Farmers.

6 Matchmaker, Matchmaker: New Links Between Older and Younger Farmers.

7 Federal Help: The Promise of Beginning Farmer Down Payment Loans.

8 State "Aggie Bond" Programs: Tax Breaks for Agricultural Development.

9 Banks: A Good One Can Keep You From Getting Too Much Debt.

10 The Farm Credit System: A Farmer-owned Lender Revives Help for Beginners.

11 Apprenticeships: Working for Experience More Than for Money.

Farmers Helping Themselves.

12 Recruiting: How One Visionary Farm Family Sought a Successor.

13 Sharing Opportunity: How One Farmer Helps Many.

14 Working into Ownership: A Partnership Passes Down a Dairy Farm.

15 Land Seekers: How One Couple's Persistence Paid Off.

16 Buy/Sell Agreements: Ways to Transfer Farm Ownership.

17 Technique, not Technology: Skill and Intelligence Can Compete with Money.

18 A Paradox for Family Farms: Cooperate to Stay Independent.

Conclusion: Lessons from Resourceful Pioneers.

Appendix: Finding More Help and Ideas.