Increasing Land Access News Today

As the average age of the United States farmer and rancher increases, proposed legislation wants to help young and beginning farmers and ranchers get a start.

Every time I visit a farm, I have hope. Despite everything that’s going on, the fact that people are still producing so much food and thriving gives me hope.

As a teenager, I distinctly remember my father telling me to not follow in the family business. I now know he said this to shield me from the many

Access to land is the number one challenge facing the next generation of farmers in the US. Centuries of discrimination and land theft have put this resource out of reach of farmers who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Everyday in the US we lose 2,000 acres of viable farmland to development. With millions of acres on the verge of changing hands, the Farm Bill is our best chance to ensure this land transitions equitably to the next generation of farmers.

Reprinted from Keystone State News

Dozens of Microenterprise Development Organizations from 28 states, including Nebraskas Center for Rural Affairs, have signed a letter urging Congress to support the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Act. Kalee Olson, senior policy associate at the center, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture program has been included in the Farm Bill since 2008. ...

About one-third of Missouri is considered rural, and people who live there often have health challenges. The latest research suggested overlooking rural areas has major consequences. A new report from the Missouri Rural Health Association outlined the need for continued investment in rural Missouri. ...

Rural schools in Ohio are finding local solutions to ensure their students have the resources and skills they need to be successful. Grand Valley High School in Ashtabula County started a Community Learning Center to help support students. Teacher Jason McConnell, who is also the president of the Grand Valley Education Association, said the center has been a game changer in helping students meet basic needs - so they can focus on learning, and not feel embarrassed about needing help. ...

The funding is part of $300 million from a USDA program intended to support underserved producers and landowners like Guy Ngoma, who came to Cedar Rapids from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ngoma hopes to get 28 acres of his own land one day to grow culturally relevant African food for the community.

In this opinion piece, Holly Rippon-Butler with the National Young Farmers Coalition discusses 2023 farm bill policy solutions that would equitably transition farmland to the next generation of young farmers.