New Farming Practices Can Help Rebuild Small Towns

Regenerative Farming Can Revive Rural America

For decades, rural communities across America have faced population decline and economic hardship. Since the 1980s, small towns in farming regions like the Great Plains and Corn Belt have watched young people leave, and farms grow larger and fewer.

Government policies promoting mass production, especially those launched in the 1970s, encouraged large-scale farming with the motto “get big or get out.” These policies led to farm consolidation, fewer jobs, and the loss of small-town economies. Stores closed, services disappeared, and young adults moved to cities.

Between 1980 and 2010, most rural counties in key farming regions lost population. Today, farmers are aging, with fewer young people entering the field. The average age of farmers is now over 58, and many are nearing retirement with no successors.

This pattern has deepened the crisis in rural America. Local businesses struggle to survive as fewer people remain. Government services become harder to fund, increasing pressure on those who stay.

According to Dr. Ryan Schmid, “Farmers and ranchers are going to need to take on this problem for themselves.”

One solution is regenerative agriculture. This system promotes natural soil health, animal care, and farmer cooperation. It helps farmers reduce costs by cutting their need for chemical inputs and large machinery.

Farmers are now forming strong connections with each other and their land. These relationships strengthen local trade and reduce dependence on outside systems. They also support a cleaner environment, making small towns healthier places to live.

Regenerative agriculture could help restore rural America by giving farmers greater control and building resilient communities ready for the future.