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Average Age Of Farmers Keeps Climbing

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Rice farmers in Texas could face a third year in a row of being cut off from water due to severe drought conditions. (Jeff Heimsath/StateImpact Texas)
Rice farmers in Texas could face a third year in a row of being cut off from water due to severe drought conditions. (Jeff Heimsath/StateImpact Texas)

Every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture takes a head count of who is farming the land. The latest census is out and it shows that there's been a slight uptick in the number of young people getting into farming, but not enough to stop the average age of American farmers from climbing.

That has observers of rural America worrying. Without new blood, the existence of many small communities is at risk. From the Here & Now Contributors Network, Grant Gerlock of Harvest Public Media has our story.

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This segment aired on February 26, 2014.

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