By MICHAEL KRANSZ
Capital News Service
LANSING — On average, the state’s farmers are 56 years old, according to Michigan Farm Bureau. But an interest in local and organic food might yield a younger, fresher crop of farmers.
“It has a lot to do with people being awakened to the issue that the food system is broken and there are a lot of opportunities to fix it and also make a living,” said Lindsey Scalera, the Canton-based co-chair of the Michigan Young Farmers Coalition. “It’s tough. People’s farms do fail. They might not always know how to do a contract. There’s a lot of learning.”
That learning curve was the impetus behind the coalition’s formation, Scalera said. The group is a platform for young farmers to talk with one another, share advice and go in on purchases together.
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