Farmer of the Future

Series produced by Harvest Public Media Group

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In a five-part special report, Harvest Public Media asks: Just who will be the U.S. farmer of the future?

This we know: You can’t feed the growing world population without farmers. But there are serious concerns today about who will actually be able to take on the job a few decades from now. Farmers are getting older, yes, but technological, cultural and political forces also are bringing immense change to those people who commit to building their lives around the land.

Harvest Public Media looks at how some of those forces may play out over the next few years.


5 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Piece image
While some of the rural Midwest is hollowing out, regions like Sioux County, Iowa, are actually growing, thanks largely to immigrant populations mo...

Bought by WRFA-LP, KUER, KRZA, KVNO, WAMC Northeast Public Radio and more


  • Added: May 22, 2012
  • Length: 05:26
  • Purchases: 6
Caption: Brent Ware, a member of the robotics team at Kansas State, stands next to a planting robot that won a national competition. , Credit: Jeremy Bernfeld/Harvest Public Media
With automation already popular on many farms, how far will technology go? Will the farmer of the future be a human farmer at all?

Bought by KUER, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, and KUOW


  • Added: May 22, 2012
  • Length: 05:30
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: William Powers family owns Dary Springs Farm near Lincoln, Neb. , Credit: Jessica Naudziunas/Harvest Public Media
It seems every farming operation today professes to be "sustainable." We may not know if that’s true until decades from now, but farmers' choices t...

Bought by KUER, KZYX, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, and KUOW


  • Added: May 22, 2012
  • Length: 04:37
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: hris Boeckmann grows turkeys for Cargill on his Loose Creek, Mo., farm. But he also raises grass-fed all-natural beef for his private label. , Credit: Peggy Lowe/Harvest Public Media
Agriculture is a big business fueled by big businesses. And although farmers themselves still come in many sizes, the distinction between corporate...

Bought by KUER, KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio, KFAI Minneapolis, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, and KUOW


  • Added: May 22, 2012
  • Length: 05:24
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: The Neill family – Julie, Callaway, Carter and Eric – all pitch in to keep the Neill and Sons Dairy humming. , Credit: Frank Morris/Harvest Public Media
The number of very small farms and very large farms have increased dramatically in the last few years, U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics sh...

Bought by KUER, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, and KUOW


  • Added: May 22, 2012
  • Length: 04:53
  • Purchases: 3