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Objective 1.D
Attract more young people to choose a career in farming.

Proposed Places to Start in 2008:
1.    Identify trends that are preventing new farmers from entering into farming.  Tap into existing resources and data, and highlight possible solutions.  
2.    Create a taskforce to propose a plan for reversing these trends.  

Potential Future Actions 2009-2012:
3.    Create a taskforce of young food system leaders to frame ideas of why agriculture is a viable career (e.g. lifestyle, stewardship, intrinsic rewards).  
4.    Create and support existing programs (e.g., Farmlink) that provide access to land, financing, and support for aspiring farmers such as a ‘beginning farmers subsidy’ so that there is an economic incentive to farm.
5.    Create and implement programs to engage students in farming.  This could include incorporating farming curriculum and/or gardens in more schools in the state.
6.    Collaborate with both the UC and state university systems to support existing and create more experiential programs that teach farming and farm business (such as the Center for Agroecology at UCSC).
7.    Create and launch a “Campaign for Farming” crafted after Johnson and Johnson’s recently launched Campaign for Nursing (http://www.discovernursing.com/).
8.    Engage California Conservation Corps and AmeriCorps in encouraging agricultural work as another career option in addition to forestry and conservation.
9.    Develop a pension fund for farmers to build long-term security for their businesses.


 
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