In the literature that I recieved for the Washington, DC fly-in there were some good statistics/talking points.  Here are a few interesting/destressing statistics for beginners farmers that were included in support of the Beginner Farmer initiatives:
    1) This one most of us have heard before:  There are twice as many farmers over 65 than there are under 35.
    2) "In 1978, there were 350,000 farmers age 35 or younger...experts are predicting that the 2007 Ag Census may reveal as few as 70,000 farmers under the age of 35.  At the same time, the percentage of farmers that are over the age of 65 is increasing."
    3) "...an estimated 400 million acres of agricultural land will transfer to new owners over the next two decades".