Breaking Down the Barriers: The Schoharie County Local Agri-Preneurship Project for Next Generation Farmers

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Schoharie County Local Agri-Preneurship Project for Next Generation Farmers (hereafter, the SCHOCO-LOCA project) was initiated to determine the opportunities and barriers facing that locale's new agriculturists. Using data collected from a series of focus groups including area high school students, farmers, and agricultural, financial, educational and human service professionals, the study identifies a set of barriers named by the acronym TACS (Technical problems, Assumptions, Community concerns and Social issues) that is threatening the health and future of Schoharie County's agricultural industry. After examining the changing structure of U.S. agriculture and the concomitant impact on Schoharie County, the study explains the problems that collectively create the barrier of TACS. Technical problems included a lack of custom services, lack of knowledge about farm transfers, an unfulfilled demand for information about alternative agriculture, and a need for improved business management skills. Observed assumptions included feelings that the state's land grant school was not concerned with the county's agricultural future, impressions that new farmers were destined for a life of poverty, and that new agricultural businesses were necessarily part of a conventional, input-intensive agricultural paradigm. Community concerns expressed by focus groups included a lack of co-operation and communication between different agencies, an impression within the education system that agricultural courses are generally meant for students who are incapable of handling traditional classroom instruction, a community-wide perception that the local state agricultural college is not a respected post-secondary education institution, conflicts among the agricultural and non-agricultural community members, and confusion among the agricultural service industry regarding who is a farmer deserving of support services, and who is not. Social issues facing the farmers included relationship strife amongst themselves, an independent mindset that prevents farmers from seeking assistance, isolation, apathy and depression, and a need to organize the agricultural sector for political purposes. Recommendations include suggestions for helping farmers work together, capitalizing on new agricultural trends for diversification and niche marketing, and acknowledging the importance of local agriculture on a community-wide basis. While this study addresses the specific concerns of one rural community, practitioners in the field of sustainable agriculture development may find some of the concepts insightful as they reflect on their own situations and experiences.