Aging and agricultural practices: Robeson County, North Carolina

Aging is a significant influence on how farmers shape agricultural practices but is inadequately discussed in agricultural literature. Farmers all over the world in both developed and developing countries are aging. This paper presents preliminary results from a study which examines how farmers change their agricultural practices as they get older. This issue is of importance because there are fewer and older farmers in the world and their decisions directly influence the world's food supply. By understanding how farmers respond to getting older we can better address the needs of older farmers, to help younger farmers continue to farm and inform those who work with farmers in various organizations and services.