The article presents the first stage results of a sociological study on the attitude to family farming of young people conducted at the Ural State Agrarian University. The object of the research is the student youth of the Agrarian University, family farming enterprises. The subject of the study was the culture, motives and problems of farmers' labor. A comprehensive research strategy was chosen as a research methodology, which includes quantitative and qualitative methods of sociological research: the research used a written survey (questioning) of an expert youth group. Work was done with focus groups. Objective: to identify problems and development prospects of family farming as a special social group.