Meet Cody & Tyler: The New Generation of American Farmers

The American farmer is aging, but there’s a generation waiting in the wings to take over the operation. This generation of farmers is young, enthusiastic and passionate. And they’re nothing like the older generation.

We surveyed these young farmers and found that more than 90 percent of millennial farmers with farms 1,000 acres or more will take over the business from a family member. Only one percent of respondents said that no one in their family farmed and they were getting involved just because it was something they wanted to do.

This is especially important as two-thirds believe they are already the primary decision maker on their operation, even while their father, uncle or grandfather is listed as the primary operator on USDA census. It’s important to understand who these farmers are and how they make these decisions.

We identified two personas of the millennial farmer to keep in mind. The first is Cody, an educated crop grower who is highly tech-savvy and manages his operation as a business. The other is Tyler, a livestock producer who likely works a second job off the farm. He’s environmentally and cost conscious, and keeps these impacts in mind when making purchasing decisions.

Sign up to receive the full breakdown of each persona’s business, purchasing and communication habits here.

If you’d like to request a presentation of the entire research study, contact us here.