VaUI
U.S. has a younger breed of farmers
New wrinkles on the face
of American agriculture? On
the contrary, there are fewer
wrinkles. According to
surveys by the Bureau of the
Census, our farmers are
actually younger nowadays.
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This could mark the end of
a trend going on since before
World War I, when statistics
first began to show that old
age was creeping up on
people self-employed in
agriculture.
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In 1910 the age of all farm
operators averaged out to
43.5 years but by 1565 that
figure had climbed to 51.3
years. In the same span, the
proportion of farmers under
35 dropped from 29 per cent
to about 11 per cent.
Where would it all end?
Who would take over when
farmers died or retired? The
answers had to wait till the
early seventies and the
census surveys which
showed the long decline in
numbers of young farmers
has come to a halt.
The data indicate that the
median age of persons self
employed in agriculture
reached a peak of 53.1 years
in 1970. This statistic is not
exactly comparable to what
was gathered for earlier
years, since it included a
small percentage of people
who were not farm
operators, such as those
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engaged in veterinary work,
crop dusting, and cotton
ginning. Also, it relates only
to perosns whose sole or
principal occupation was in
agriculture.
In any case, the conclusion
is the same: Average age of
self-employed persons in
agriculture has been inching
lower since 1970. By 1975, it
had dipped to 50.4 years, or
nearly 3 years less than in
1970.
More significantly,
workers under 35 years rose
from 265,000 to 358,000 - a
gain of 35 per cent - whereas
those 60 and over fell from
601,000 to 351,000, a decrease
of 23 per cent.
Says an ERS demo
grapher: “One can only
confecture about the cir
cumstances that have finally
halted the rise in the age of
farmers. But it was known
that the aging process could
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not go on forever. It was
simply going through a
transition. The day had to
come when the number of
workers reached some
stabilization and when the
age composition began to
normalize ”
Though specific details are
lacking, the reasons for the
age dropoff may be tied to
better profits from farming,
the improved attitude of
farm youth toward
agriculture and rural life,
and an entry of urban-reared
young adults into farming.
Too, the trend may have
been buttressed by the large
Water Quality
Report
HARRISBURG, Pa. - The
quality of some 900 miles of
Pennsylvania streams has
improved in the period 1971
to 1975 while 200 miles of
stream were degraded for a
net gain in water quality of
700 miles.
This information is con
tained in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania 1976 Water
Quality Inventory prepared
by the Department of En
vironmental Resources’
Bureau of Water Quality
Management.
The annual report on
water quality also indicates
that an overall average of 80
per cent of the State’s major
streams through five
drainage basins are in
compliance with State water
quality standards. The
degree of compliance ranges
from 98 per cent in the
Potomac River Basin to 72
per cent in the Delaware
River Basin. The
Susquehanna and Ohio
Basins each show 80 per cent
compliance and the Lake
Erie Basin 82 per cent.
Pennsylvania’s water
pollution problems are at
tributable to a variety of
sources including sewage
discharges, industrial waste,
agricultural runoff and
construction operations.
According to the report,
much has been ac
complished by Pennsylvania
municipalities and in-
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number of young adults in
the population - “baby
boom” children have grown
up.
“Whatever the details to
be filled in,” the ERS
demographer continues,
“the existence of the new
trend is definite.
“If there were two
demographic articles of faith
for those engaged in rural
policy or research in the
1960’5, they were the ad
vancing average age of
farmers and the high rate of
rural to urban migration.
Both of these trends changed
in the 1970’5.
dustries in pollution
abatement the past several
years. But a great deal still
remains to be done, it says.
The Bureau of Water
Quality Management
estimates that by 1983, 2,253
miles of major streams will
fail to meet established
water quality goals.
Mine drainage from
abandoned mines, acting
either alone or in com
bination with other pollution
sources, accounts for more
than 85 per cent of this
problem.
The estimated cost of
abating mine drainage
problems is $1 billion.
The inventory reports that
during the past five years
grant offers totaling more
that $5OO million in Federal
funds were made to Penn
sylvania municipalities for
construction of sewage
facilities. State grants issued
have provided
municipalities an additional
$lOO million. However, a'
recent survey of water
pollution control needs in the
Commonwealth estimated
more than $3 billion still is
needed for construction of
facilities to control
wastewater pollution.
Copies of the report are
available from the Depart
ment of Environmental
Resources, Bureau of Water
Quality Management, Bor
2063, Harrisburg, Pa. 17120.
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