It’s never too late to become a beginning farmer. Krista Jacobsen, associate professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Horticulture, is setting out to help Kentuckians take advantage of the rich landscape and build something beautiful.

According to the USDA, in 2022, the average age of all American farm producers was 58.1 years, continuing a noticeable upward trend in farmer age since 2017. As farmers age and eventually retire, farms produce less and sometimes close, severely affecting local food systems. 

The Food Connection and UK Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources, both housed in the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, have received a USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program grant for $750,000 to start KY Farm Launch.

KY Farm Launch — a partnership between UK, Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD) and Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Organization —provides hands-on training for beginning farmers. The USDA defines a “beginning farmer” as an individual with less than 10 years of experience as a primary owner or operator. One of the program’s goals is to address the decrease in the Kentucky farmer population.

“Structuring a farm business is overwhelming and scary,” Jacobsen said. “Production is why people get started, but the business is a tough spot for some. We hope to take away some of the barriers that discourage people from getting started.”

The training program lasts nine months, with weekly workshops on the sustainable production of vegetables, small fruits, beef cattle, sheep, goats and poultry. Business, management and market planning are woven into the courses as well.

While extension offers many resources for those wanting to learn to grow specific crops, this program is less location-based and more person-based. Participants will have one-on-one mentoring and a cohort of other beginning farmers in their same boat.

“Farming is always challenging, but there is great technical assistance and market demand for produce and livestock products that can be a great start for beginning farmers,” Jacobsen said.

Participants will learn from community farmers as well as extension staff on the UK farms in and surrounding Lexington. This allows trainees to see a large-scale food production operation and groundbreaking research happening on the same land.

This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2024-49400-43646. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Department of Agriculture.

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Writer: Grace Sowards, grace.sowards@uky.edu

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