Vilsack receives future farmer advice from FFA

FFA, formerly Future Farmers of America, has risen to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s challenge to tell him what’s needed in the next farm bill, as he encourages 100,000 young people to become farmers in the next few years.

The USDA should do the following, FFA said in recommendations sent to Vilsack:

• With other agencies, encourage and assist beginning farmers to start or continue in production agriculture
• Help transition farms from older related and non-related farmers to younger of beginner farmers who may not come from a farm;
• Help keep young people in rural communities and make rural communities an even more important part of U.S. economy and society
• Support efforts to increase public knowledge of agricultural literacy
• Strengthen the capacity of agricultural education to produce more students that pursue production agriculture and other agriculturally related careers
• Provide authority, responsibility and support for school-based agricultural education and FFA.