| US agriculture is in the midst of significant structural change. Researchers estimate that 70% of private farmland in the US will change hands over the next 20 years, and a new generation of farmers will soon need to take control of food production. Many have questioned whether traditional farmer training methods effectively address the barriers to entry facing new US farmers. The current research explored the emergence of farm incubator programs as one possible solution to the challenge of educating, training, and supporting new and beginning farmers (NBF). An online survey of 42 farm incubator staff members, representing 2/3 of operational farm incubator programs in the US, was conducted to 1) gather information about farm incubator program structure and organization, and 2) examine whether farm incubator programs addressed barriers to entry for NBF, encouraged the development of communities of practice (CoP), and incorporated a civic agriculture framework into their activities. |
