Young Farmers
California grape grower Jennifer Thomson saw nearly every grape go unsold in 2024. But through grit and determination, she fought back — and this year, she found a home for her entire crop, defying odds and carrying her family’s legacy.
Producers nationwide face thin or negative margins, rising input costs and economic pressure not seen in decades — forcing some to make the tough choice of whether they can afford to keep farming.
At just 10 years old, Jackson Laux has gone from riding with his grandpa to farming his own acres — while also becoming John Deere’s first-ever Chief Tractor Kid. And now he’s teaming up with NFL quarterback Brock Purdy and John Deere to make a difference.
Love is in the Air: How a 13-Acre Corn Maze in Ohio Turned Into a Larger-Than-Life Marriage Proposal
Tim Sullivan had a grand idea this spring: turn his family’s corn maze into a 13-acre marriage proposal for his then girlfriend Caroline. With the help of local farmers, his dream became a reality: flying her over the corn maze to create an epic proposal.
An Indianapolis-based agricultural cooperative has found a new way to recruit its next generation of employees.
Suicide and mental health concerns continue to increase on farms and ranches. Watch for signs, be proactive and provide support to those struggling in your community.
Amanda Freund, a Connecticut dairy farmer is headed to “Shark Tank,” where she aims to propel her creation, CowPots, into the mainstream.
Livestock industry responds to 17-year-old Alonso Apodaca’s decision to let steers loose at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
With a college degree under his belt, Aaron Krueger put together a fleet of equipment and returned to his grandfather’s ground to breathe new life into the farm. He’s implemented cover crops and plans to diversify beyond corn, soybeans and cereal rye.
At just 11 years old, Reed Marcum had an idea for a project: Collect toys and give them to children in his community. Eight years later, the toy drive has given away more than 64,000 toys at an annual event people wait in line for hours to attend.
Carmi, Ill., farmer Chase Sailer isn’t afraid to do things different. He learns from failures on the farm and is turning to precision tools to drill down decisions to every acre.
In 1984, Farm Journal’s personal ads connected Pat, a farm girl from Iowa, with Doug, a dairyman from New York, sparking a love story that led to marriage and the fourth generation of Fuller Acres Farm.
FFA is a nearly limitless opportunity for young people to figure out who they are and what they want to do in life. Here are 10 lessons Farm Journal employees learned through FFA that they use every day.
Since Lance Dobson’s return to the family farm, he’s added cattle, cereal rye for forage and a seed dealership. “Whether it’s exercising or farming, hopefully diversification in our day will yield results that improve our longevity,” he says.
It’s not often you hear of a farmer using virtual reality or an artificial intelligence chatbot on the farm, but coupled with real-time data through OpsCenter, this Arkansas farmer is truly taking technology to a new level.
In 2022, Dalton Dilldine bought a shuttered commercial grain facility and outfitted it with monitoring and automation technologies. This year, he’s taking a hard look at spray drones and how they can fit across his acres.
From a pragmatic approach to purchasing new technology to making more of the buying decisions on the farm, there are some interesting trends transpiring as more Next Gen farmers identify as an owner/operator on their farm.
When a pair of sisters set out to help the family farm, they didn’t think they’d end up on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list. On the debut of Grow Getters, a podcast about ag’s most creative side hustles, they tell their story.
Heath Huisinga is always eager to investigate new tech for his farm in Casey, IL. This year, he’s using John Deere’s AutoTrac Turn Automation, which frees him to focus on the planter rather than on driving the tractor.
NBA superstars Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith learned how to hand milk a cow on live television thanks to a Madison, Georgia dairy farm, Big Sandy Creek Farm.
At the age of 15, Callee Pellett signed her first lease, and today, the 16-year-old farmer has nearly 20 acres she farms on her own. As the seventh generation, it’s a unique opportunity she doesn’t take for granted.
It’s not easy to be an award-winning FFA advisor, but Riley Hintzsche of Streator Township High School in Illinois, makes it look that way. Here’s one of his secrets and how that’s making an impact on the pork industry.
Just in time for school to start, in the midst of the Illinois State Fair, students across the state will no longer be penalized for participating in a 4-H or FFA event.
16-year-old Mary Schalk set off on her first solo flight the day after a destructive tornado ravaged Mayfield, Ky. Her mission was to get supplies to those who needed it, as many were left with nothing after the storm.