DENVER — Farming is good, honest, hard work, but it isn’t a career that’s attracting young professionals.
“U.S. agriculture is aging,” Sophie Akroft said.
As the executive director of National Young Farmers Coalition, Akroft has the numbers to back up that claim.
“Farmers over 65 years old outnumber farmers under 35 years old by more than 6-1,” she said.
According to Akroft, the coalition is a grassroots network of young farmers and ranchers all across the country working to create a better future for agriculture. Aspiring farmers work alongside those with more experience to learn how to farm — not just working the soil. They learn about applications, land use, water rights, legislative processes and more.
This week, the organization’s top farmers are getting together in Boulder to share ideas at the National Leadership Convergence. Workshops, mixers and fieldwork help the young people become better leaders in their home chapters.
The soundtrack for Tuesday night's mixer was pumping with delicious beats.
"If you’re going to be celebrating around urban agriculture you gotta have me on the wheels of steel," said Denver-based eco-hip hop artist DJ CAVEM.
He rhymes about Kale and arugula. His album is sold as a download on the back of vegetable seeds with his picture on the front. He hopes his music helps inspire young people to consider working in agriculture.
"Utilizing the movement of hip hop to propel this next wave and I know it’s going to work out," he said
Another element of the conference is a tour of several Front Range farms, and one stop was at Sister Gardens in Denver, operated by FrontLine Farming.
“It’s a Denver organization run by people of color building a better food system in their community,” Akroft said.
Sister Gardens showed off its 1 1/2-acre community garden surrounded by new condos in North Denver. Several farmers talked about their urban farming mission, the necessity to pay farmers and educating the community about locally sourced food.
After the chat, there was a Native American land blessing ceremony.
Akron said experiences like this are essential for the future of American agriculture.
“We’re all working for a similar end, and doing it in so many different and diverse ways," she said. "It’s really important to us to bring our farmers from across the country to learn from the people here in this community who are doing amazing work. To bring that inspiration back to our communities.”
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