Workforce recruiters are having a hard time placing workers in rural America. On the service side, they say jobs are plentiful, but applications are few and far between.
“They think it’s an unglamorous job, possibly. They want to be more involved in a sales role or management, but like anywhere else, I think the place to be in employment right now is in service, whether it’s the retail agronomy, whether it’s starting as a technician at an implement dealership, if you have the training and skills, you can advance quickly in that industry or outside of Ag, like electricians, those types of things, are also service repair work where we’re always going to need them,” said Tammy Jensen, president of AgriCareers Inc.
Jensen encourages young farmers to stick with it and to always be willing to do more. Right now, the average age of the U.S. farmer is around 60 years old.
Dr. Gary Schnitkey from the University of Illinois discusses farmers’ sentiment toward industry consolidation, especially in the fertilizer sector, where costs remain historically high.
The dairy industry is encouraged by potential H-2A reforms while supporting renewal of the USMCA.
University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension is helping ranchers navigate grazing and herd management strategies.
Experts note that economic growth, fuel demand, and energy diversification are opening new opportunities for U.S. grain and ethanol exports in Southeast Asia.
The Potter Valley Project has provided irrigation water and hydroelectric power for over 100 years in Northern California, serving agriculture and municipal users.
The USDA’s new cotton initiative comes as policymakers continue to focus on stabilizing farm income across major row crops while balancing export exposure with domestic supply chain resilience.
