Farmers following in their family's footsteps
The past few years have been rough on farmers. Changing economics, weather and other factors have caused family-run farms — especially those in the dairy industry, — to sell land or the complete farm to make ends meet. Even in Frederick County, the number of dairy farms are dwindling. In 1950, there were 1,369. As of Aug. 7, there were 60, according to the story reported by Kate Masters and Allen Etzler. Masters and Etzler spoke to the next generation of farmers. The ones who are taking over the farms left in the county. Etzler joined producer Heather Mongilio to talk about reporting the story and what he took away. Then, Ben Sowers, co-owner of South Mountain Creamery, talks to Mongilio about taking over his family farm with his sister and his hopes for his children and his sister’s children. Mongilio and county reporter Steve Bohnel also recap the latest on the two teenage brothers charged in the assault and death of a 59-year-old Mount Airy man at The Great Frederick Fair. And finally, education and new food reporter Katryna Perera stops by to talk about a restaurant she described as an “Indian Chipotle”.