WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, June 4, Senator Rick Scott, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand are convening a hearing entitled “The Aging Farm Workforce: America’s Vanishing Family Farms” to shine a light on the growing crisis posed by an aging agricultural workforce and the urgent need for policies that protect family farms, sustain food production, and ensure the next generation of American farmers is fully equipped to carry on this vital national mission. America’s aging farmers, one-third of whom are over the age of 65 with a median age of 58 years old, constitute the nation’s oldest workforce.
Witnesses will include Zippy Duvall, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation; Jim Alderman of Alderman Farms, and 2025 Florida Farmer of the Year; Aaron Locker, Managing Director at agricultural executive search firm Kincannon & Reed; and Dr. Chris Wolf, E.V. Baker Professor of Agricultural Economics and Director of Land Grant Affairs at Cornell University. These experts will share firsthand insights and best practices for addressing the aging demographics of U.S. farmers, strengthening farm succession planning, and bolstering the long-term sustainability and security of the American food supply.
Witnesses for the hearing will include:
· Zippy Duvall, President, American Farm Bureau Federation
· Jim Alderman, Owner, Alderman Farms
· Aaron Locker, Managing Director, Kincannon & Reed
· Dr. Chris Wolf, E.V. Baker Professor of Agricultural Economics and Director of Land Grant Affairs, Cornell University
WHEN: Wednesday, June 4, 2025
4:15 P.M.
WHERE: Hart Senate Office Building, SH-216
WATCH: Live broadcast online HERE.
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