Ohio is the sixth-largest state with beginning farmers, and new funding is available to help those just entering the business to survive the challenges spurred by the pandemic. The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association s Beginning Farmer Program is taking applications for Pandemic Relief Microgrants ranging from $500 to $5,000. Program coordinator Robin Hackett explained the unpredictability and supply chain disruptions of the past two years have been especially tough for early career farmers who are more vulnerable to disruptions. .
GREENE, Iowa The proposed Build Back Better bill is getting attention for a host of funding possibilities, including one area flying under the radar: sustainable agriculture. Programs to reimburse farmers for adopting environmentally friendly practices could see benefits. The Biden administration s proposed public spending package includes $13 billion for the Working Lands Program, which provide financial and technical assistance to help farmers reach their conservation goals. .
RICHMOND, Va. In central Virginia, permanent access to land is one of the biggest barriers to farming. A new land-trust model aims to secure both rural farmlands for affordable housing and agricultural practice for new farmers, while also acquiring land in urban centers to foster economic growth. .
COLUMBUS, Ohio Succession is an inevitable process for Ohio farmers, and it can also be an opportunity to re-imagine the land. Vicki Harder-Thorne is steward to 80 acres in Ottawa County, farmed for nearly a century. Her grandfather felt modern agricultural practices did not account for the wildlife that depended on land used for farming, and so her mother eventually returned the land to wildlife through the Conservation Reserve Program. .