History on Farming

History on Farming

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
During a conversation with Randy Dickhut, senior vice president of real estate operations at Farmers National Company, I brought up the age old question about the graying of the American farmer. “if you go back and I like looking at history on charts that go back in time and use it to look ahead, I think the peak Number of farmers was in that 1920s twenties early 1930s and ever since that time there has been a steeper decline in the number of farmers. Due to mechanization, efficiencies, technology, size of equipment… all of that has been a continual march for 100 years now. We see that continuation of the trend. one thing, when you look at the statistics on the age farmers, yes some of that is whatever that average age is they will farm into their 70s now, equipment or they can hire… whatever reason. But it doesn't always take into account who that Second operator is. It might be that the children are involved. Secondly, when farm incomes are really good, in the early two thousands we saw a lot of older farmers to farm by hiring the work done, or leasing it out or custom done, they would hire the work to be done or whatever.
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