Economic Ewe-Turn: Recession Spurs Agro-Revival

Sick of the noise and hassles caused by lawn mowers? Instead, in Oberlin, Ohio, you can rent sheep for just $1 each per day to nibble your grass short. As the United States' economic malaise continues, young people around the country are increasingly turning to small, agriculture-related ventures like that one to get by, according to the New York Times. “It’s a gateway to that whole rural dream,” said the 23-year-old founder of the sheep-lawn-mowing company. “And with the type of recession we’re having, there’s stability in it.”

Another example: The nonprofit group Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, which helps find temporary workers for organic farms, says its US branch has quadrupled its membership over the past three years, and has become particularly popular with college-aged young people. “It’s not a movement that’s going to go away," said a Brooklyn woman who grows food for her family to save money. "This economy has been so devastating to so many people that this idea of doing for one’s self, which is very much an American idea, is taking hold.” Full story here. (More agriculture stories.)