Debt, slim margins stretch Thomas Jefferson’s goals for U.S. farms
The family farm has been central to the American story for generations.
At the nation’s founding, nine in 10 Americans were farmers. But today, fewer than 2% are farmers, and they are struggling with higher costs and crushing debt.
Kansas farmer Cole Carpenter knows about that all too well. Two years ago, he sold 800 acres to put capital back into his farm.
Carpenter said the decision was tough, but “the less debt, the less stress” made the choice easier.
Carpenter and agricultural journalist Sarah Mock joined Woodruff for her series, Crossroads: America at 250.
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