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Farming ‘through the ages’: joint farming ventures in Ireland

We discuss the rationale for a balanced age structure and greater participation of younger farmers in Irish agriculture. However, we are circumspect with regard to prevailing policy discourses that are biased for and against farmers depending on their age and ownership status. We discuss how joint farming ventures (JFVs), involving diverse combinations of farmers, have the capacity to manoeuvre around the “land mobility” problem by instead paying recognition to human capital on farms. Taking a focus on the micro-politics of the farming household, we identify JFVs as capable of providing recognition to younger and older farmers, whether or not they own land. We argue that JFVs not only provide career pathways for younger farmers but also preserve the crucial inter-generational dynamic of family farming. Highlighting the psychodynamic processes at play in processes of farm succession, we advocate extension strategies to facilitate JFVs in achieving meaningful human capital benefits at farm-level.