Local farms closing at alarming rates

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – Farming is an essential part of our lives especially here in Kentucky.

However, the number of local farmers has dropped almost nine percent in recent years.

“It’s critical that we have the next generation of farmers to protect all of our farmland and to protect this industry,” said Jim Coleman, owner of Coleman Crest Farm.

Coleman has a lot to be proud of, including owning the first black-owned organic farm in Kentucky.

But lately, there are concerns about the declining numbers of local farmers.

“You’ve got the next generation of farmers, they can’t get into farming because land has gone up so high in price,” said Coleman. “Oftentimes, you’ve got aspiring farmers that want to get into it, they don’t have the operation experience. They don’t have the capital to be able to get into a farm”

We’ve gone from having 100 thousand farms in Kentucky to now having three quarters of that in the past 20 years.

“So we’ve lost over 25,000 farms in that short amount of time,” said Coleman. “And it’s going down every day because we have so many people who are moving here to Lexington and Louisville.”

To try and increase the decrease in farmers, this summer Coleman participated in Lexington’s summer youth job program and received four interns.

These interns learned the many ins and outs of farming.

“It’s a lot of outdoors and physical work, as well as a lot of business sides that you don’t get to see,” said Evan Herzog. “There’s a lot of calculations and careful planning that you have to do behind the scenes.”

Chaz Burks, an intern with EKU spoke about why we need local farmers.

“It’s great for the environment for one and it also gives back to our community,” said Burks. “We don’t have to go else where to find food and stuff. It’s excellent to have a farm in your backyard to be able to get vegetables and produce.”

For Coleman, these interns are his way to support his career. One he’s concerned is fading.