Organic, niche products attract ever younger Maine farmers

AUGUSTA – Maine’s general population has been getting older in recent years, but when it comes to farmers, Mainers are getting younger.

The average age of farmers in the United States rose steadily since the late 1970s, but in Maine, farmers’ average age has declined in recent years, according to the 2002 U.S. Census of Agriculture, which says Maine is the fifth-youngest state when it comes to farmers.

The census also says that while fewer than one in 10 farmers nationwide is younger than 35, Maine counts nearly 25 percent of its farmers in the under-35 group.

“I think the reason is that the newer farmers are organic farmers and niche farmers,” said Jon Olson, the executive secretary of the Maine Farm Bureau. “For many of the younger farmers, it’s a lifestyle choice. I don’t know how big it is, but it’s growing.”

A decision to stick with farming is also a commitment to hard work. There are no days off. Young farmers say they work more than 12 hours a day. Some take on winter jobs, such as carpentry, to help pay bills.

The drop in Maine’s average farming age reflects a push in the same period by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, whose farm training project has found a willing audience. The organization had 40 apprentices this year, said Russell Libby, the association’s executive director.

Jeff Bragg, 44, of Sidney grew up on the family farm and always wanted to farm. But his operation differs in one respect: Bragg last year started an organic dairy as a business decision.

Twenty-five-year-old Daniel Price, who grows mixed vegetables with his partner, Ginger Dermott, on their 5 acres in Freedom, acknowledged that young people from farming backgrounds “just want to get out, because it’s not lucrative at all.”

Price said his decision to farm “stems a lot from enjoying the work and being outside and eating good food. It also stems from the desire to work at home and work for myself.” Price and Dermott sell their vegetables at nine markets from Portland to Bar Harbor.

Maine’s rural image and relatively remote pastures appeal to those inclined to grow organic produce, said Rod McCormick, a research associate with the state Department of Agriculture.

“If you drove between Augusta and Belfast, you’d probably see 30 farms that no longer do production. Nobody’s planted anything there for 10 years or more, so there are no pesticides,” said McCormick.

Olson also noted that Maine farms are close to markets and there’s a growing demand for organic farm goods.