Local farmer works to bring young people into the industry

KEYSVILLE, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - We’re putting the focus on food as the need for summer meals and young farmers continues to grow.

One farm is working to help with both. America’s farmers are getting older and the next generation is not in a rush to them.

You might not think of 80-year-old Loretta Adderson as your typical farmer. But she’s given her life to agriculture.

“This farm was founded by my mom and dad, and I grew up here,” said Adderson.

Here means a plot of land near Keysville. Her hands have been working in the fields since she was 9 years old.

She grows things like peaches, pears, figs, strawberries, watermelons and more.

But after eight decades, she’s ready to hand it over.

The question is to who?

“We need farmers. What is happening in farming is that we have a lot of senior farmers. When I say seniors, those that would be maybe 60 and over. We have very few younger ones. So with us, we’re saying now who is going to actually be farming when we retire or transition,” said Adderson.

FDA has seen it too, with producers between the ages of 35-64 declining by 9% since 2017.

“There are so many solutions that I see,” said Adderson.

Adderson says one solution is to expand the internship program she created years ago with Georgia Organics.

She’s putting young farmers back in the industry by teaching them how to plant produce.

“We’re going to have to change agriculture, we’re going to have to change farming. Everyone thinks that you get out here with a hoe and you know, no things have really changed. It’s not as difficult,” said Adderson.

It’s not just the hands in the dirt they need.

“We have to prepare the soil. We’re going to need people who can operate the equipment and those that can’t. We need seeds. Then once you get seeds, you’re going to have to either be able to plant them directly in the soil or start plants. Now we have the product and we got to know then when to harvest,” said Adderson.

At the end of the day, she says farming is a battle of survival and a sacrifice worth fighting for.

“This program, really is our effort to really to continue and to see farming going on for many generations forward,” said Adderson.

Once these intern farmers finish the program, the next step is helping them find land to start their own farm.

The program runs for about 10 weeks. Most of the cost is covered by different sponsors.

If you’re interested in the internship program, you can find out here.

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