Part 11/16:
Despite the economic hurdles, the tradition of passing farms from one generation to the next persists. J.D. Meyer, a fifth-generation Iowa farmer, exemplifies this continuity, alongside Swanson and others like him. For these families, farming is more than a business; it’s a way of life woven into their identity and history. However, the declining number of agricultural workers—from 8 million in 1949 to just over 2 million today—reflects broader societal shifts. Urbanization and technological efficiencies have reduced the rural workforce, threatening the social fabric and knowledge transfer vital to farming.