At a Feb. 13 Farmington school board meeting, Marie Johnson, student nutrition coordinator, said she was concerned about the lack of next generation farmers.

“I have a duty to help our generation learn about food,” she said, “I’m very concerned about the fact that the average farmer is 65.”

Her concerns are real, and hit home in San Juan County, New Mexico.

According to a 2021 U.S. Department of Agriculture farm labor report, the average age of all agricultural occupations is 41, and 18% of jobs are held by those under 25.

The most recent USDA Agriculture Census reports that San Juan County is home to 2,877 farms, dropping by only 88 from the 2017 census. New Mexico saw a decline of 4,068 farms from 2017 to 2022.

There have always been curriculum around agriculture at Farmington schools, but it’s Johnson hopes to connect them together.

Johnson said the district has received financial support in grants from the USDA and knowledge based support from the members at New Mexico State University’s Growing Forward Farm.

FoodCorps service members are working with students at elementary schools in the Farmington district this school year to provide exposure and teachings around agriculture.

Johnson sat in on a pollination lesson in which students used Cheetos dust from their fingers to pollinate flowers printed on a piece of paper.

“It was just a wonderful lesson,” she said “Those are the things that I want to impact our students, get them curious and make it fun, and that way they retain it.”

Indoor gardens and cooking classes have been the staple at some of the elementary schools with a FoodCorps service member.

“I'm hoping that ultimately, these small steps will plant some seeds within them to want to pursue a farming or agricultural type career in the future,” she said “By engaging them from the K through five grade level, you start them to think and explore.”

Andrew Foster, Growing Forward Farms project coordinator, said the New Farmer Training Program has brought in prospective farmers who are interested in exploring the territory of farming.

Foster said those who grow up around local farms often find themselves leaving the area to pursue careers in technology. Farmers traditionally will pass down the land and trade to family members; however, communities are dispersing more.

“So at the end of the day, the real question is, how are we going to manage that handoff,” he said. “How are we going to get a younger generation into farming?”

At the Aztec-based farm, that looks like exposure and opportunities, Foster said.

The life of a farmer and the knowledge they hold may be completely unknown to some youths, and Foster is working toward clearing that barrier in a nurturing environment.

“We want to make sure that young people have the chance to come out to a farm that maybe wouldn't normally, so that they can maybe be inspired to think of farming as a viable career, which it absolutely is,” he said.

The New Farmer Training Program is aimed at those who are interested but do not have the experience working the land.

The program involves access to a plot and experts from New Mexico State University.

“So we're giving those opportunities to people to get into farming to bridge that gap of the age dynamic where our industry is top-heavy with people who are aging out,” Foster said. “We need to give new people opportunities to learn how to farm so that when they think about going out into the community and taking over a farm that people are aging out of, they're going to be able to step in there and be ready.”

One student that is taking the steps toward bridging that gap is Farmington High senior Carson Stark.

Stark began his journey as a backyard farmer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With over an acre of land, Stark used his own money to transform his passion into a business.

An array of produce including peppers, cucumbers, cantaloupes, squash, okra has been the product of Stark’s plot at Growing Forward Farm.

Through the New Mexico Grown program, that produce would make it back into the Farmington school district.

Stark gave props to the efforts of Johnson in providing students access to local produce and the knowledge of where and how that produce came to be.

“I think that is so crucial now with younger children,” he said “She’s basically been having teachers grow lettuce and the kids get to eat the lettuce that they’ve grown and that is such a cool experience.”

Basic knowledge of plant life stages in elementary was the only memory of Stark’s that involved farming literacy.

For Stark, there is a family connection to farming with his 82-year-old grandfather still pursuing the job but the industry was still new to him.

“For the aspiring generation, we need more farmers, we really do,” he said.

The job has required time and determination that in return impacts the local community in a positive way, Stark said.

“It’s a hobby and a job that a lot of people struggle to retire from because people love it so much,” he said.