CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Farmers across the United States have faced labor shortages, farmland loss and rising costs, but this year they may be facing another hurdle: a loss of income.
The United States Department of Agriculture predicts that farms will face a 25% decrease in income this year, leaving farmers across the state to adjust and navigate these challenges.
“It's every kid's dream to grow up on a farm and be able to work,” said Chris Westmoreland, a farmer at Westmoreland & Sons Farm.
Westmoreland has been living out that dream in the fields as a fourth-generation farmer.
“This is a farm that was started by my great grandpa back in the early 1900s, it was originally a cotton farm, but they transitioned into a dairy cattle farm in the 1950s. Then in 2011, we got out of the dairy industry and now we continue raising corn, soybeans, wheat, beef cattle and hay,” Westmoreland said.
Despite its longevity, the farm’s long history in Huntersville has also brought in the aches of development.
According to the town of Huntersville, the town’s population is on pace to exceed 105,000 by 2040. It’s a growth that can already be seen just separated by a treeline on the farm property.
“It's just putting an ever-increasing squeeze on us. I mean, it's harder to get tractors up and down the road. There's development everywhere, and we lose fields every year. It's just a prime spot for development,” Westmoreland said.
Westmoreland Farms has since lost over 500 acres to development, but with even less land to manage, the rising operating costs remain.
“Everything is going up, parts are going up, seed costs are going up. It's just things like that, that are out of our control, and this year we probably won't get as much for our crops just because of how the market goes,” Westmoreland said.
Help for farmers like Westmoreland may also be limited, as the USDA predicts direct government payments will fall nearly 16% compared to last year.
Despite these challenges that farmers are facing, Westmoreland says that staying diversified is what has helped the farm stay resilient.
“We have the crops, we have the three different crops that we grow. We also grow straw and sell that to contracting companies, and then we also have a small sawmill, which helps fill in the gaps of making money,” Westmoreland said.
While the USDA’s predictions do not sound promising for farmers, Westmoreland is hopeful that conditions could change as the year goes on.
“You just have to plan for the best and to do what you can do, and educate yourself and just position your farm the best you can to be able to make a profit and support your family because that's all that we're trying to do,” Westmoreland said.
Among other cost increases, the USDA also predicts that production expenses will increase by 3% this year.
For more information on Westmoreland & Sons Farm, you can visit its page here.