Community The average age of farm owners (currently 55) is on the rise and fewer than a third of family farms have a successor lined up to take over the business. This leaves those who want to live on the land with very few jobs that aren't low-income "factory-like" labor. Family farms have long formed the heart of U.S. agriculture and are important to the vitality of America's eroding rural communities. According to PEW studies, rural communities with plenty of small to midsized family farms have a better quality of life, lower crime, more social services, and more civic participation. Having very deep historical ties to their locality, family farmers are typically socially active in their communities. A large proportion of Truebridge farmers hold community-serving roles, like volunteer EMT or board members of community organizations. They also tend to spend their money locally. Most vertically-integrated large farms have no reason to do so, as their owners live elsewhere. Agricultural dollars spent locally are often amplified at least 5 to 6-fold in the community, so midsized family farms protect not only the livelihoods of their own families, but also those of other skilled agriculturalists who love this way of life.