Putting down roots: An increase in first-generation farmers

For only the second time in a century, the number of young people who are farmers is increasing.

That information is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Young Farmers Coalition did a further study showing that many of these young farmers did not grow up in farming households.

That's the case with Stacey and Tenzin Botsford, who operate Red Door Family Farm in Athens.

They started as river guides traveling all over the world, but once they decided to put roots down near where they grew up, they looked for a profession that would allow them to do something meaningful and connect with their community.

The adjustment wasn't easy at first.

"We were living in the RV the first year of farming," Tenzin Botsford said. They lived in the RV as they were building their house and their farm, but before buying the land they learned as much as they could from other farmers.

"In Oregon, I did an apprenticeship with a vegetable farmer and then we followed that by doing a similar thing on an animal farm," Stacey Botsford said.

Today, as their farm continues to grow, they rely on relationships they've fostered with other farmers and a more modern source.

"The internet. YouTube has been a huge help. I don't know how anyone could be a first generation farmer without the internet or YouTube to be fully honest," Stacey Botsford said.

The farm also forces the family to make more long-term plans. Tenzin Botsford says with big decisions they have to look at the impact it will make on the farm decades into the future.

Despite the hardships, they said being first generation farmers is worth it. Their farm is the most common type popping up among first generation farmers according to the Young National Farmers Coalition.

"It's the kind of farm we're on right here where we're growing 12 acres of vegetables and direct marketing on a small scale," Stacey Botsford said.

That means they are regulars at community farmers markets and work with community supported agriculture programs. It's something they hope to pass on to their two young daughters someday.

"They certainly love the farm life, so I hope it stays that way," Stacey Botsford said.