Thirty percent of farmers in New York state are over the age of 65. They manage nearly two million acres of farmland and forest—nearly one-third of all the farmland in the state. More than 100 people, representing 50 organizations, attended our forums in the Hudson Valley and Western New York recently to discuss the issue of transitioning farms to the next generation. Participants tackled the dual challenges of helping the senior generation pass down their farms while assisting a new generation in securing land and succeeding in farming.
