Iowa’s Labor4Learning program pairs experienced farmers with newcomers, creating mentorships that ease farmland transition and build agricultural skills.

An agriculture program in Iowa is helping new and upcoming farmers learn from seasoned ones, addressing challenges in farmland ownership and uncovering the benefits of communal connection. Practical Farmers of Iowa’s Labor4Learning program recruits farmers to teach beginners the essential skills needed to successfully manage agricultural operations, innovating how Iowans pass on generational knowledge.

Photo courtesy of Preston Keres/Raw Pixel.

Learning through hands-on experience

Steve Riggins and his wife moved to their Cambridge, Iowa, farm 10 years ago. The property has been in his family since 1855 but hadn’t been worked in decades. Seeking guidance, Riggins found the Labor4Learning program, which connected him with experienced mentors who could teach him the fundamentals of farming.

The program provides beginning farmers like Riggins with practical, hands-on skills while helping them understand agricultural management practices and financial strategies. “They taught me everything from cutting hay, raking hay, working on machinery, moving cows, working in the dairy,” Riggins told Public News Service. “They taught me a million different things I never would have had a chance to learn. And it was 10 times better than going through YouTube.”

Photo courtesy of Kansas Farmers Union/Flickr.

Benefits for both generations

The arrangement benefits experienced farmers as well, giving them extra hands to help with their operations while they share their knowledge. According to findings from the Nobel Research Institute, approximately 10% of the nation’s farmland will transition to the next generation within five years, highlighting the timely nature of these mentorships and the necessity of passing on generational agricultural knowledge.

An unexpected outcome

Martha McFarland, farmland viability coordinator with Practical Farmers of Iowa, notes that while the program was designed to teach the next generation, organizers discovered an additional benefit: Experienced farmers are potentially identifying who they might pass their land to upon retirement (which is especially important when family members aren’t interested in taking up the mantle).

“It’s really awkward to have a match between a retiring farmer and someone who might come in and take over the land and just say ‘OK, now take over,'” said McFarland. “There has to be some kind of an interim getting to know you period. And so, to be able to help retiring farmers find that, in that context, is really helpful.”

McFarland added that the experienced farmers complete a training program with Practical Farmers of Iowa before they begin mentoring newcomers, ensuring quality instruction and detailed guidance. As rural America experiences a significant generational shift in land ownership, programs like Labor4Learning will play an important role in preparing the next wave of farmers for success.

This story was generated in part by AI and edited by Iowa Starting Line staff.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.