Two questions...

1. Often, when discussing topics with people who are much older than myself, I am quickly shut down with the whole "Wisdom comes with age" mantra. On any given topic, I'm wrong because I'm young and haven't been around long enough to realize how wrong I am. I'm just wondering if this is a fallacy, and which one if it is?

2. My father is the worst at doing this, but not the only one. His favorite line is "food for thought." Most of the time, a topic will be brought up, and he will state an argument about his opinion on that topic. However, when I make my rebuttal, he is quick to discern that he was "just giving food for thought" and that what he is saying is not actually an argument and not intended to change someone's mind, therefore, I am not in a position to point out reasons why I feel he is wrong. Is this a fallacy or a cognitive bias, cause it feels as though he (and the others I know that do this) is trying to add special parameters that prevent anyone from arguing his position, but also allow him to make an argument on any given topic?

An example is the topic of GMOs. He is very much against them. I'm on the fence. He will say something along the lines of, "Just food for thought, if foods were meant to be genetically modified, they'd appear that way in nature." I understand this is the naturalistic fallacy. As I point this out to him, I'll say something like, "It's fallacious reasoning to assume that something is good because it's natural or bad because it's unnatural. If you really want to convince someone that GMOs are harmful, try showing scientific research backing it up." His response usually boils down to, "I'm not trying to convince anyone, just trying to give them something to ponder. I don't need scientific research to prove my point, I know it's true and if others want proof, they can look it up."

Is any of this fallacious or cognitive biases?

In my view this is a classic ad hominem attack, tacitly asserting that ‘wisdom’ is exclusively a product of longevity, which is transparently specious. The implication is that in a finite sense, someone youthful (or younger) when voicing a contradictory argument or opinion toward someone older must by definition be wrong, since they have not acquired the requisite ‘wisdom’ to be more correct. This completely begs the possible superior reasoning, logic or factual information that may be present in the younger person’s position.

Straying a bit, if we tweak this statement slightly to read:
“EXPERIENCE comes with age” we have something slightly more acceptable, at least when applied to generic life experiences. However, when applied to specifics this too, becomes suspect. A twenty-five year old, battle-hardened soldier clearly has more experience in the first-hand rigors of war than a 50-yr old non-Vet. Yet the older person may (or may not) have the superior capability to determine whether a war should be fought, or how to strategically manage one. A positive correlation between experience and ability or knowledge seems likely only when normalized to within a given individual, i.e., not when applied comparatively.

When normalized to laboratory animals, one can usually observe a learning curve, such that the rat having greater experience (in a trial & error format) in selecting the lever yielding the food pellet (or shunning the electric shock) will do so with greater frequency than his novice peer. Yet it seems given the sheer number of variables at play when applied to human condition and decision-making, this renders quantification of the value of ‘experience’ something close to ephemeral. (Care to weigh-in , Bo?)

Regarding the second part of your question, the “Food For Thought” line used by your Father, this strikes me as a passive-aggressive ploy to present a concerted opinion or argument, then to distance himself from it to avoid taking responsibility for, or having to defend it.

Just food for thought. If your mother ever joins in and says listen to your father son. Then she is right. A happy mom makes a happy house so dont argue with your mother. I should know, Im older than you. btw I haven taken bos courses and it should be apparent.