Helping beginning farmers get started

I have introduced a bill this spring to help beginning farmers get started. The vast majority of Illinois farms are family owned, but we need to make sure we are passing them on to the next generation of farmers.

A good way to do so is to provide some incentives for young people to get involved with farming, and for those who might be nearing retirement to help them out in doing so. The federal government already provides incentives to help start a farm. My bill will provide state tax incentives for a landowner who wants to help a beginning farmer get started. Under the legislation, a landowner can rent their farm to a new farmer and receive some tax incentives for doing so.

I’ve been working with the Department of Revenue, the Farm Bureau and the Department of Agriculture to get their input and to put together a program that will help those who want to get started in agriculture.

I expect the bill to be assigned to a committee in the coming weeks.