By Amanda Hill

The Baby Boomers have been called America’s greatest generation. They’ve weathered decades of ups and downs and have lived to tell the tales. Marketers drool over the Baby Boomer demographic—revered for their purchasing power by sheer volume.

But, the times, they are a changin’… Move over, Baby Boomers. Here come the YEMMies.

I came across the YEMMies in this post from the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) blog, Focus on Agriculture. A YEMMie is a Young, Educated, Millennial Mother.

The Millennial generation, born between 1982 and 2001, are quickly surpassing the Baby Boomers as the most influential demographic in America. In fact, by 2020, Baby Boomers and Millennials over age 25 will nearly equal each other in number.

YEMMies are a different breed. They grew up with an abundance of choice, particularly when it comes to food. Thanks to the marvel of modern agriculture, YEMMies and other Millennials are accustomed to browsing aisle after aisle of fresh produce, meats and dairy products at a large supermarket. Exotic fruits are commonplace at specialty grocers. Just about any cut of beef they want is just a quick trip away.

As the Millennial generation ages, marketers are looking to YEMMies as the next great purchasing giant. These young moms are shopping for their families, and their expectations are high.

They like “natural” and “organic” products. They expect shelves to be stocked with every fruit and vegetable imaginable—regardless of what’s in season. They want a bargain, but they are willing to pay more for perceived quality.

America’s farmers and ranchers will meet these demands. They’ll grow everything from grapes to green beans, cabbage to cauliflower, potatoes to peaches. And despite Mother Nature’s unexpected blows and unpredictable markets, they’ll provide these goods at a fair price.

So, the YEMMies come with great expectations—but America’s farmers and ranchers are ready to meet that challenge, if the price is right. To the next generation they say, “Bring it on.”