Aspiring Latino Farmers Face Struggles Starting Farms

*Latino farmers get little, if any, recognition. But their struggle is difficult in an already difficult field. This story is from Nebraska where the number of Latino farmers is dwindling. The problem is the difficulty in getting funds. VL

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By Anastasia Champ, NBC Nebraska

[tweet_dis]Nearly 10 percent of the state of Nebraska’s population is Latino, but less than 0.5 percent of them are farmers and ranchers[/tweet_dis] due to high initial costs among many other reasons.

“If we have $10,000 we would be able to make something,” said Cozad farmer Hugo Escamilla.

[pullquote]Finding good land is always a big struggle, but what plagues aspiring Latino farmers the most is digging up money to get started.[/pullquote]

Financial investments are a harsh reality for those looking into farming along with long hours, sweat and small paydays to start off with, especially if you’re starting from scratch.

“Agricultural land has increased in price tremendously. I believe now it’s between $10-$16,000 an acre. That’s a considerable financial investment,” said Latino American Commission executive director Lazaro Arturo Spindola.

According to the census done in 2013, there are 841 Latino farmers in all of Nebraska, a state where agriculture is the lifeblood.

Click HERE to read the full story.

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[Photo courtesy of NBC Nebraska]

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