The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture recently visited a university in Virginia to speak about the need to get young farmers going in the industry.
Secretary Tom Vilsack was on the campus of Virginia State University in Ettrick and spoke about how he'd like more young people to pursue a career in farming, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
"We talked about the need to get young people engaged in opportunities in rural Virginia," he said. "We are seeing an increase in interest on the part of younger people in smaller-scale [farm] operations, which is why we put some focus on local and regional food systems."
The average age of a farmer in the U.S. is about 60, according to Vilsack, which is a number he is seeking to lower.
In addition to encouraging more people to get into the industry, Vilsack's choice of Virginia State University will likely help motivate minority farmers to get operations started as the school is a historically black university.
R.F. Turner, a goat farmer who saw the secretary speak, told the Progress Index that he believes Vilsack has a "very sincere commitment to diversity in agriculture."
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