After 70 years on the farm, Jimmy Drake retired from the cotton business. With no family stepping up to take over the farm, he turned to a young neighbor.
Tanner Heffington, left, talks to Jimmy Drake. Drake passed on his farm and equipment to long-time neighbor Heffington last year, making this the first time in more than 70 years that a member of the Drake family didn’t harvest the land.— a weekly dispatch about the people, places and policies defining Texas, produced by Texas Tribune journalists living in communities across the state.
The steady increase in the age of farmers is not unique to Texas, and is part of a national trend — the 2017 agriculture census found the average age of all U.S. farm producers rose 1.2 years from the 2012 census. Tanner Heffington, left, talks with Jimmy Drake inside a barn. Heffington, a young, trusted neighbor who also has farming in his blood, agreed to take care of Drake's land.Cotton was Drake’s lifelong friend — and bitter rival at times. He couldn’t simply call it quits and let his land go to the next highest bidder. Had it not been for his employee leaving, Drake said he could still go.
The two have also bonded over agriculture, particularly the pride they feel as being contributors to the nation’s food, fuel and fiber industries by growing cotton. Agricultural officials have taken notice of the barriers that could keep young farmers and ranchers out of the business, and have made programs specifically to draw them in.program by the Texas Department of Agriculture is open for people 18-46 years old and provides money for creating or expanding a business. The grants can range from $5,000 to $20,000.
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