Farming

Nice News  - From the food in our fridges to the T-shirts in our closets and medicine in our cabinets, we rely on farmers to keep us fed, clothed, and healthy. And as the global population continues to grow, the industry will need to as well. In the U.S., the median age of farmers is around 58, making them the oldest workforce in the country — so it’s essential a new generation follows in their footsteps. Th at’s where Rutgers University’s Beginner Farmer Training Program comes in.
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Comprising online classes, hands-on training, and mentorship, the program helps people with little to no prior experience break into the field. Christina Couch, 26, is one of those individuals. Having previously worked in the restaurant industry, she’s spent the past few months under the sun on a 1-acre plot of land, tending to rows of vegetables and herbs. “It’s the hardest job I’ve ever had,” Couch told CBS News. “It is really, really difficult, the physical labor and the heat of the summer, but at the end of the day, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”