As 25% of all Oregon farmland will be up for grabs over the next decade, the future of Oregon’s family farmers may hang in the balance. According to the latest 2007 Census of Agriculture, the average age of local farmers is 57.5 years, slightly older than the national average. Two central, and interrelated questions: How can we help insure that there are a next generation of family farmers in Oregon? How do we insure that there will be available (and affordable) land for them to farm?

Friends of Family Farmers, a non-profit advocacy group advancing the interests of Oregon family farmers, organized an evening of conversation around the issues facing new farmers at their InFARMation (and BEER!) monthly event in Portland. Witness the discussions taking place between farmers, eaters, and others concerned about sustainable food and local agriculture. The conversation continues in Part 2.

See Related: A New Family Farmer