Cecil Irvin never asked his son to take over the family farm, but he's glad to see the land being passed to a third generation.
John "Jack" Kocher knows farm life is about family. His children now hold the reins of the farm he built, and some grandchildren are waiting in the wings.
But these farmers, each with more than 60 years in the field, are increasingly the exception rather than the rule.
They're among a growing number of Centre County farmers who have reached the age of retirement — or at least the age when their bodies begin to tire despite their desire to continue working the land.
Those older farmers greatly outnumber the younger people willing to take their places. So their retirements, over time, mark a critical shift in agricultural land use in Centre County, often marking the point where a farm either passes to the next generation or into the hands of real estate developers.
"Many of our farm owners are above 50 years old. Many," said Craig Altemose, director of Centre County Cooperative Extension. "It's a genuine concern about not having a youthful influx to take over."