Westmoreland County's ag challenge: keeping the next generation on the farm

How do you keep the next generation of farmers interested in staying on the farm, when that life offers them the guarantee of hard work seven days a week with compensation far below other occupations?

That’s a challenge for Westmoreland County farm families, as farmers are getting older, with the average age in their 50s. But there aren’t as many young people who want to pursue that life, said Craig Lash, president of the Westmoreland Fair, on Saturday.

“Why work for nothing when you can get a job in a mill and make more money? The people won’t worry until all the farmers go out of business,” Lash said.

Lash’s observations that farmers in the county aren’t getting rich by toiling on the land is borne out in statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s census for Westmoreland County.

The average farm-related income in Westmoreland County was just $29,674 in 2022, and that was 155% better than in 2017. Government payments added another $14,400 in 2022, according to census data.

The average farm sold in the county sold about $88,700 worth of products in 2022, but it cost an average of $78,600 to operate the farm.

The number of farms in the county has dropped by 10% from 2017 to 2022, from 1,099 to 989.

However, Lash pointed out that agriculture remains the No. 1 industry in the county, as well as the No. 1 industry in the state.

The market value of the products sold by the county farming industry was about $87.7 million in 2022, which was an increase of more than 30% from 2017. Total expenses, however, were around $77.7 million.

The rising cost of feed, seed, fertilizer, fuel and equipment is making it tougher for farmers, said Amanda Carbonara, whose family has a 206-acre dairy farm in East Huntingdon, which she operates with her husband, Justin, and family.

“Everything is more expensive,” said Carbonara. “It’s just why we are losing so many farmers.”

In 2022, there were 138,000 acres devoted to farming, which is 4% fewer acres than in 2017, according to the census.

At the same time costs are rising for farmers, Carbonara said, dairy farmers are still getting just pennies on the dollar for the milk that people pay for at the grocery store.

“You have to milk hundreds of cows to make a profit,” Carbonara said.

Unlike some other farm families, the Carbonaras may have a succession plan in place. Their son, Nick, a Southmoreland High School freshman, said he plans to go into the family business.

The Carbonaras joined many other families with members showing animals at the annual fair, the showcase for the county’s agricultural community.

It’s an opportunity to show the rest of the county just how important farming is to the region, Lash said.

The fair in Mt. Pleasant Township remains a popular attraction. As of Saturday afternoon, around 60,000 people had attended the fair that opened on Aug. 15. Saturday night, the closing night of the fair, traditionally sees heavy attendance, said Sarah Sphon, fair secretary.

“It’s the only place where (the public) can get an education in farming, where you can see where your milk comes from and your bacon.”

Update on Sunday, August 24:

Overall, the Westmoreland Fair drew a little more than 60,000 visitors this past week, which is slightly above average for fair attendance, but a little below the 2024 attendance of around 61,000, said Charles Fleightner, a fair board member.

That total does not include those entering the fair with complimentary tickets or fair workers, which could account for as many as 5,000 people throughout the week, Fleightner said.

Fair attendance was hurt early in the week by the high temperatures, Fleightner said.