by Slow Food USA staffer Cecily Upton

If we’re ever going to meet the rising demand for good, clean and fair food, we’re going to need new farmers. Lots of ‘em. And these new farmers are going to have to do things a little bit differently from the generation before them.

Instead of gas or biodiesel powered tractors, they’ll need to employ draft animals.
Instead of purchasing GMO seeds, they’ll need to save their own.
Instead of selling to a large distributor, they’ll need to rely on local markets.

With a sea change happening in the agricultural sector, and with many young farmers making a commitment to the land with little or no farming experience, how will they learn the skills necessary to produce enough food for growing demand?

Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture has one answer. They’re organizing a Young Farmers Conference, where young and new farmers can learn the skills they need. From seed to market, workshops will cover the basics of getting started within the context of our global food system.