A bill aimed at getting more young people into farming by providing student loan debt relief has been submitted for consideration at the Indiana statehouse.
State Rep. Melanie Wright (D-Yorktown), who
authored the legislation, said it's harder for young people nowadays to afford the cost of breaking into farming, especially if strapped by college loan debt.
And, more young people are needed with the average age of a farmer in the U.S. now at 58, she said.
"It's just more affordable for farmers who've been in the business for awhile to acquire extra acreage, but it's very hard for those young farmers starting out because our student loans have gone up so dramatically over the past several years,'' said Wright.
When figuring in the cost of equipment, "it's just nearly impossible'' for aspiring farmers paying on college loans to break into the industry and for those trying to make a go of it to turn a profit, she said.
Wright, 50, grew up on a small 200-acre farm between Alexandria and Kokomo.
Her father worked full-time at General Motors while raising wheat, then later corn and soybeans on the spread that has grown to 400 acres.
House Bill 1581 allows as much as $10,000 in student loan debt to be forgiven if the individual engages in agricultural activities as a small farm or participates in the day to day operations of a small farm.
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education would administer the program under the bill.
Wright said she doesn't expect any action this session on her proposal before the House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee for which she is a ranking minority member.
That's because the focus of this year's legislative session is approving a two-year state budget at a time when revenues filtering into state coffers are projected to be down, she said.
She's more focused, instead, on setting the stage for possible movement on the bill next year.
"I just wanted to start the dialogue," said Wright, a school teacher in Daleville.
She's a high school band instructor, an eighth-grade physical education teacher and music teacher in grades K-5.
Student aid relief for young farmers has already been adopted in at least two states, New York and Wisconsin.
In Wisconsin, the new student loan assistance program assists 10-20 people who've completed higher education with grants of up to $30,000 for each person over a five-year period.
Recipients must intend to pursue farming as a career and be considered likely to succeed in farming based on interest, training and expertise, according to the requirements listed in the program.
There's also been a push in Congress by groups like the National Young Farmers Coalition out of upstate New York.
Gene Matzat, an educator with the Purdue Extension office in LaPorte, said it's extremely difficult for a young person with little money or collateral to break into farming unless they already have family members in the business or a farmer they're working for extends financial help.
He said young farmers with a good business plan, though, could catch a break if they align themselves with someone in the industry who believes in them.
"Modern farming is pretty capital intensive, not only with the equipment that's needed, but also some of the new technologies that are used in farming these days," said Matzat.