Grants for Young Farmers
It's no secret that the average American farmer is hovering exceptionally close to retirement age. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2007 Ag Census, the average age of U.S. farmers is 57, making the case for a strong need to train younger people in the field. Luckily, there are a few financial options, particularly in the form of grants, to entice young people to consider farming as a viable profession.
Other People Are Reading
-
Farm Credit System Foundation
-
The Farm Credit System Foundation is one of the largest and most well-known grant systems for farmers. The Foundation annually supports young, beginning and small farmers through a grants program, doling out more than $500,000 in 2006 alone. The grants program defines young as age 35 or younger, having 10 years or less experience or having less than $250,000 in annual sales. (See Reference 1)
-
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
-
The federal government has a variety of options that may be beneficial to young and beginning farmers. The 2008 Farm Bill has revised the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program by providing more funding and putting a priority on funding local, community-based or academic organizations that help link retiring farmers to beginning or young farmers. Funding is a maximum $250,000 a year. (See Reference 2)
Beginning Farmer and Rancher Individual Development Accounts Pilot Program
-
Also a product of the 2008 Farm Bill, the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Individual Development Accounts Pilot Program is a new program that provides for matching-funds grants for savings accounts for beginning farmers in at least 15 states. (See Reference 3)
State Grant Programs
-
States also have individual grant programs, which can often be the most targeted and accessible way to seek grant monies. Florida, Texas, Minnesota, Missouri and California have all recently offered grant programs targeted at young and beginning farmers; check your individual state's department of agriculture page for details and deadlines in your own state, where applicable. Another option is to visit http://www.stateagfinance.org/types.html.
Other Options
-
There are a variety of other grant programs young or beginning farmers could qualify for that don't necessarily target a specific age group or experience level, but emphasize innovation, organic farming and ecologically sound and alternative practices--things that young or beginning farmers might find themselves involved in. The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education offers grants and outreach for innovation in agriculture, while the Carrot Project offers creative financing solutions for small and ecologically sound farms (in New York and New England only). The Organic Farming Research Foundation offers information on funding and research for organic farms. For more information, visit http://www.sare.org/, http://www.thecarrotproject.org/ and http://ofrf.org/index.html, respectively.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit "Black and White Tractor- HDR" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: ajagendorf25 (Alex) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
