DODGEVILLE, Wis. — Southwest Badger RC&D has just launched grazingbroker.org. The new online tool seeks to connect owners of land with livestock farmers to recruit the next generation.
Nationwide, farmers are beginning to age out and retire. Only 5.1 percent of the 2.1 million principal farm owners are younger than 35, according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture. And access to land is one of the most common obstacles that young farmers report facing during start-up according to the 2017 National Young Farmers Survey.
“Getting matched with a retiring farmer or landowner is one of the first major steps that young farmers need to start their own operation, so this resource is perfect for those struggling to find a suitable place to settle down and farm” says Robert Bauer, Southwest Badger Grazing Broker.
To start the process, users can visit the Connect section of the grazingbroker.org website to fill out an online profile. Once the profile is approved by the Grazing Broker, the details and contact information in the profile are only visible to registered users, although the city, state, and acreage information for land seekers and landowners can be viewed in the publicly searchable database.
The website also offers a list of local contacts that assist with grazing plans, business development, and grazing system installation. Local organizations that work with livestock farmers are encouraged to list themselves as a resource.
An online store for new grazing products on the site generates proceeds to benefit the non-profit Grazing Broker project. Users can also list their own used equipment for sale. Listings are free.
A “Grazing Broker Handbook” is available as a free download to guide farmers and landowners through the process of leasing land for grazing. The handbook features many colorful photos of successful pasture rental partnerships that have developed in Wisconsin because of the project.
Southwest Badger Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working in the Southwest Wisconsin region. The organization’s mission is to implement natural resource conservation and rural economic development in the area through education and best practices relating to agriculture, grassland, forests, and surface waters.
The Grazing Broker connects landowners with livestock producers to keep grasslands intact and increase support for the restoration of additional productive grasslands. The project is supported by grants from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
— Southwest Badger RC&D Council
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