Debt, slim margins stretch Thomas Jefferson's goals for U.S. farms
By PBS NewsHour
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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. Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show. Sign up for Here's The Deal with Lisa Desjardins: https://to.pbs.org/41q6E8i Subscribe for exclusive content in our newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe PBS News podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app:
Tags: News, farms, family farm, family farms, farming, american history, tariffs, costs, pbs, pbs news, money, thomas jefferson, dust bowl
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