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The bill, known as the Beginning Rancher and Farmer Oppor-tunity Act, would fund a variety of initiatives intended to support people who want to farm but struggle to find land, start-up money and educational opportunities.
It will likely be attached to broader legislation included in the 2007 Farm Bill when Congress begins to debate it later this summer.
“It takes a while to get your feet underneath you and weather the proverbial bad storm that comes with farming or ranching,” Walz said Thursday. “We’ll hopefully try and address some of this by making a few changes in (the farm bill) to get these young farmers on the land.”
The bill would provide
$25 million a year in grants to organizations that work with new and prospective farmers, as well as dedicate conservation money and provide an improved down payment loan program for new farmers.
The bill has drawn praise from the Land Stewardship Project and other organizations across the state that provide intensive training programs and other resources for beginning farmers.
Karen Stettler, who manages LSP’s beginning farmer program from the organization’s Lewiston office, testified before Congress in late March, where she urged members to support increased funding and new initiatives in order to provide for the swell in people interested in LSP programs.
“Often times, we’ve had to turn away potential students due to large demand and classes at full capacity,” she testified. “After offering Farm Beginnings in Minnesota for 10 years, we have in no way outstripped demand for the program.”
She also testified that program graduates have had a difficult time getting enough credit to buy land and equipment, and that applying for funding “takes a creative approach and a number of different lending options bundled together.”
Walz, a Democrat who represents southern Minnesota, held several hearings on the farm bill during district tours this spring. He said one of the most common issues people raised was a need to support beginning farmers.
Walz sits on the House Agriculture Committee, led by fellow Minnesota Democrat Collin Peterson, and has an opportunity to play a prominent role in shaping the farm bill, which will set U.S. agriculture policy for the next several years.
Brian Voerding is a reporter for the Winona (Minn.) Daily News.
