Growing a Future with Farmers

Grant Amount: $50,000

Region: National

Delivered by: Young Farmers Connect

Year funded: 2023

Project status: In progress

The Challenge

There are many barriers to becoming a farmer in Australia including access to land, capital and hands-on learning. The average age of a farmer in this country is currently 57 which means there is an urgent need to support young farmers to enter the profession by addressing the challenges they face.

The Innovation

Young Farmers Connect Australia (YFC) is a national not-for-profit organisation that unites new, young and aspiring farmers nationwide. YFC empowers people to connect; with the land, their food and each other. The organisation provides industry support and peer-to-peer learning to the growing small-scale farming sector.

Sustainable Table funding is enabling YFC to develop a stronger governance framework and deliver a new strategy so that they can better support new, young and aspiring farmers in the future. This project aims to:

• Support autonomous and inspired YFC Chapters across Australia – Land stewardship starts locally. YFC empowers place-based and autonomous chapters to grow regional support structures that build knowledge and skills to secure strategic and financial partnerships. These networks are fostering collaboration, connection and provoking positive systems change.
• Grow and sustain impact – YFC will bring the national and international movement of young and aspiring farmers to local communities. The organisation will build impact by activating new and young change makers to deliver impactful projects that support the next generation of farmers and the resilience of food and farming systems.
• National Small Scale Farming Survey - YFC will gather stories and data from across the country. The learnings will present an up-to-date picture of the challenges and potential of the emerging agricultural landscape and inform the organisation’s future strategy and advocacy. Together with YFC’s partners, they will leverage this data to catalyse positive change.

Why did Sustainable Table fund this project?

We need young farmers now more than ever to ensure a viable future for agriculture and our food system. YFC is experiencing exciting momentum; they’re developing stronger governance frameworks and developing a strategy for growth and evolution through the support of the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation (VFFF). Now is the perfect time to enable the YFC alliance to build on its existing impact and social movement.

To help us support more projects like this and regenerate Australian food and farming, please consider donating today.