THE NEXT GENERATION OF AMERICAN FARMERS IS ALREADY HERE - Why Veterans and Young Farmers Must Be Part of America’s Agricultural Future

America's agricultural future is not some distant question.

It is happening right now.

Across the country, farmers are aging, farmland is changing hands, agricultural assets are becoming increasingly valuable, and a new generation is trying to figure out how to enter an industry that can require hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of dollars in land, equipment, livestock, infrastructure, and working capital.

And among those looking toward agriculture as their next chapter are America's veterans.

Veterans Are Already Part of American Agriculture

According to the USDA's 2022 Census of Agriculture, 305,753 U.S. agricultural producers had served or were serving in the U.S. military.

That's approximately 9.1% of all U.S. producers.

Even more significantly, USDA reported that 289,372 farms had at least one producer with current or prior military service in 2022. Those farms represented approximately 15% of all U.S. farm operations.

Military veterans are not strangers to agriculture.

They are already here.

They are raising livestock, growing crops, managing equipment, running businesses, employing workers, maintaining rural communities, and producing food.

The question is not whether veterans belong in agriculture.

The question is whether the agricultural system will make room for the veterans and young farmers who are ready to build what comes next.

The Land Problem Is Bigger Than Many People Realize

One of the biggest challenges facing the next generation isn't simply learning how to farm.

It's getting access to land.

USDA's 2024 Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land survey found that more than 2 million landowners rented out approximately 348 million acres of farmland.

And 79% of those rented acres were owned by non-farming landlords.

That statistic tells us something important.

A tremendous amount of America's agricultural land is controlled by people who are not actively farming it themselves.

Meanwhile, individuals who want to become farmers may have the knowledge, work ethic, business plan, and determination—but lack the land and capital necessary to get started.

For a beginning farmer, that creates a difficult equation:

You need land to farm.You need capital to acquire land.You often need a demonstrated operation to access capital.But you need capital and land to build that operation in the first place.

That is the barrier VYFA believes deserves serious attention.

Farmland Is Also Becoming More Valuable

USDA's Economic Research Service projects that the value of U.S. farm real estate—including land and its attached structures—will reach approximately $3.77 trillion in 2026.

That represents a 3.8% nominal increase from 2025.

For established landowners, rising land values can represent growing wealth.

For beginning farmers, the same increase can make entering agriculture even more difficult.

This is why the conversation about the future of farming cannot focus only on production.

We also have to talk about access.

Access to land.

Access to financing.

Access to training.

Access to markets.

Access to experienced mentors.

Access to the knowledge required to turn an agricultural idea into a sustainable business.

Farming Is a Business—Not Just a Lifestyle

There is another reality that prospective farmers need to understand.

Farming can be profitable, but profitability is not automatic.

USDA forecasts that average net cash farm income for farm businesses will increase to approximately $135,000 in 2026, an 18.7% nominal increase from 2025.

At the same time, USDA reports that approximately 86% of U.S. farms are small family farms, with gross cash farm income below $350,000. For many of those farm households, off-farm income remains an important part of their financial picture.

That distinction matters.

The goal shouldn't simply be to put someone on a piece of land and call them a farmer.

The goal should be to help people build viable agricultural businesses.

That means understanding:

• Production

• Farm business planning

• Cash flow

• Record keeping

• Risk management

• Insurance

• Equipment

• Labor

• Marketing

• Contracts

• Land use

• Regulations

• Technology

• Financing

• Long-term succession and growth

A farm is a business, a livelihood, an asset, and often a family legacy.

It deserves to be treated that way.

USDA Is Recognizing the Opportunity

There are already federal resources specifically designed to help veterans and beginning farmers enter agriculture.

USDA states that veterans can receive assistance through programs involving farm loans, conservation, disaster assistance, education, and training.

USDA's Farm Service Agency also provides Beginning Farmer and Rancher loan programs designed to help the next generation access land and capital. Farm Ownership loans can help with land and capital needs, while Operating Loans can help beginning farmers cover operating expenses, diversify operations, and develop markets.

And in April 2026, USDA held a dedicated Beginning Farmer and Rancher Veterans Webinar Series for military veterans and transitioning service members, covering USDA resources and pathways into production agriculture.

There is clearly recognition that veterans can play an important role in America's agricultural future.

But resources only work when people can successfully navigate them.

Information Isn't the Same as Access

A program can exist.

A loan can exist.

A training opportunity can exist.

A grant can exist.

But that does not automatically mean a beginning farmer can successfully access it.

Understanding eligibility requirements, preparing financial records, developing a business plan, documenting experience, identifying suitable land, understanding production costs, building a realistic enterprise budget, and navigating agricultural regulations can be overwhelming—especially for someone starting from zero.

That is where education, mentorship, preparation, and documentation become critical.

And that is part of the work VYFA is committed to doing.

Veterans Bring More Than Military Experience

Military service can develop skills that translate remarkably well into agriculture.

Leadership.

Logistics.

Equipment operation.

Maintenance.

Planning.

Risk assessment.

Team management.

Mission execution.

Adaptability.

Working under pressure.

Accountability.

Those skills don't replace agricultural knowledge.

But they can provide an important foundation.

With the right agricultural education and mentorship, those existing skills can become part of a successful farm management system.

Veterans shouldn't have to start over at zero simply because they are entering a new industry.

Their previous experience should be recognized, documented, and incorporated into their agricultural development whenever appropriate.

Young Farmers Need More Than Encouragement

The same principle applies to young farmers.

Telling young people to "go into farming" isn't enough.

If we want another generation of American farmers, we have to help them understand how to become farmers.

They need pathways.

They need mentors.

They need opportunities to acquire practical experience.

They need business education.

They need realistic information about land, financing, equipment, markets, risk, and profitability.

Most importantly, they need opportunities to build experience before they are expected to assume enormous financial risk.

The future of agriculture cannot depend entirely on inheritance.

Not every future farmer will receive a family farm.

Some will come from military service.

Some will come from rural families without enough land for another generation.

Some will come from completely different careers.

Some will be young people who simply know that they want to work the land.

America needs pathways for all of them.

The Farm of Tomorrow Has to Be Built Today

The USDA's data makes something very clear:

America still has millions of acres of farmland.

America still has hundreds of thousands of agricultural producers with military experience.

America still has millions of people who depend on agricultural production every day.

And America still has people who want to farm.

The challenge is connecting those pieces.

At Veterans & Young Farmers Alliance, we believe the next generation shouldn't have to choose between having a dream of farming and having a realistic pathway to make that dream sustainable.

We believe veterans and young farmers deserve access to education, mentorship, agricultural business preparation, land opportunities, and the tools necessary to build productive farms and lasting agricultural businesses.

Not because farming is easy.

It isn't.

Not because every farm will succeed.

It won't.

But because America's agricultural future depends on people being prepared to take responsibility for the land, the businesses, and the communities that will feed the generations that come after us.

This Is Bigger Than One Farm

A successful beginning farmer doesn't just create a job.

A successful farm can create employment.

It can support local businesses.

It can purchase equipment and supplies.

It can contribute to the local tax base.

It can preserve agricultural land.

It can produce food.

It can strengthen rural communities.

And it can give the next generation something that cannot be measured only in dollars:

A reason to stay.A reason to build.A reason to invest in a community.A reason to believe there is still a future in American agriculture.

That future is worth building.

And the people ready to build it are already standing at the gate.

Veterans & Young Farmers Alliance

Serving Those Who Serve the Land.

Learn more about VYFA: VYFA — Veterans & Young Farmers Alliance

Sources & Further Reading

• USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service — 2022 Census of Agriculture, Producers with Military Service.

• USDA Economic Research Service — 2022 Census of Agriculture, farms operated by producers with military service.

• USDA NASS — 2024 Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land Survey.

• USDA Economic Research Service — 2026 Farm Income Forecast.

• USDA Economic Research Service — Farming and Farm Income.

• USDA Economic Research Service — 2026 Farm Sector Assets.

• USDA Farm Service Agency — Beginning Farmer and Rancher Loan Programs.

• USDA — Military Veteran Farmers in Agriculture.

• USDA — Beginning Farmer and Rancher Veterans Webinar Series, 2026.