Access to financing remains one of the biggest challenges for the next generation of farmers. At the Minnesota AgriGrowth Fall Summit, Stone Dairy’s Anthony Anderson and Circle S Cattle Company’s Mark Schoenfeld discussed the obstacles young producers face when trying to enter agriculture. Both identified access to capital as a primary barrier. They also encouraged agricultural lenders, cooperatives and other industry leaders to help connect aspiring farmers with established producers who do not have identified successors. Those relationships could create new opportunities for farm transitions and help preserve the next generation of family farming operations.
