Senate Considers Beginning Farmer and Rancher Tax Credit
July 20, 2010
ROUNDUP, Mont. - Start a small farm or ranch, or open a new small business in Montana, and get a tax credit worth up to $10,000. That's what's on the table for the U.S. Senate as a "jobs bill" is being debated.
Executive director Chuck Hassebrook of the Center for Rural Affairs says spurring micro-enterprises and entrepreneurship make a lot of sense for job creation, since those kinds of small businesses are credited as being the new job incubators.
"It's for people who create their own job by starting a small business, or get started in farming and ranching. That's the way we've created a lot of opportunity in rural America for over a century."
Hassebrook says the proposal is the first one he's seen that focuses on micro-businesses for rural areas. Read More
There’s no doubt that it’s very difficult for young farmers and ranchers to get started in agriculture. I get asked quite often if I know of any programs that can help so I thought I would pass this on. While the idea has a long ways to go before reaching fruition, it’s good to hear that there are some people who still put value on small rural businesses. ~Troy
Showing posts with label young farmers and ranchers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label young farmers and ranchers. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Putting All Our Eggs in the Social Media Basket
I wanted to highlight this well written blog post from Will Gilmer of Gilmer Dairy Farm. Like Will, I have used social media as a way to share my story about agriculture. But, we must remember that these are just someof the tools we have to educate consumers about where their food comes from. I've always said that tweets and status updates will never replace the handshake and looking another person in the eye while you share your story. Follow this link to see what Will had to say.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Celebrating Agriculture
It’s Time To Celebrate Agriculture
03/15/2010 01:14PM
CattleNetwork.com
Agriculture has challenges ahead in spades. From individual farm profitability concerns to increasing government regulation on virtually every front to the endless battle against insidious and overt activist group messages, there’s no shortage of issues that pile up.
Still, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s young farmers and ranchers survey conducted last month, despite the challenges, 80 percent of those responding to its 18th annual survey say they are more optimistic than they were five years ago, while 82 percent say they are better off than they were five years ago.
That’s because agriculture remains a huge economic engine from one end of the country to another. The details of this success offer some excellent points to share about agriculture during this National Agriculture Week. This celebration of all things agricultural offers an excellent chance to counteract some of the negativity swirling around production agriculture.
For example, I bet most people don’t know that agriculture employs more than 22 million American workers, or about 17 percent of the total U.S. workforce. Or that agriculture generates 20 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product, that agricultural land provides habitat for 75 percent of the nation’s wildlife, that American consumers spend just 9.3 percent of their annual income on food — the lowest percentage in the world, and that individuals, family partnerships or family corporations operate 99 percent of U.S. farms. Read More
So many times we get wrapped up in the stress of farming and ranching and forget to enjoy it. We have so much to celebrate in agriculture. Food has never been raised more efficiently or safer than it is right now. For ten thousand years humans have been genetically enhancing their crops and livestock, along with learning how to process and store the harvest. So what better time to celebrate this feat than during National Ag Week! If you’ve never taken the opportunity to visit with someone about where their food comes from, this week would be a great time to start.
03/15/2010 01:14PM
CattleNetwork.com
Agriculture has challenges ahead in spades. From individual farm profitability concerns to increasing government regulation on virtually every front to the endless battle against insidious and overt activist group messages, there’s no shortage of issues that pile up.
Still, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s young farmers and ranchers survey conducted last month, despite the challenges, 80 percent of those responding to its 18th annual survey say they are more optimistic than they were five years ago, while 82 percent say they are better off than they were five years ago.
That’s because agriculture remains a huge economic engine from one end of the country to another. The details of this success offer some excellent points to share about agriculture during this National Agriculture Week. This celebration of all things agricultural offers an excellent chance to counteract some of the negativity swirling around production agriculture.
For example, I bet most people don’t know that agriculture employs more than 22 million American workers, or about 17 percent of the total U.S. workforce. Or that agriculture generates 20 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product, that agricultural land provides habitat for 75 percent of the nation’s wildlife, that American consumers spend just 9.3 percent of their annual income on food — the lowest percentage in the world, and that individuals, family partnerships or family corporations operate 99 percent of U.S. farms. Read More
So many times we get wrapped up in the stress of farming and ranching and forget to enjoy it. We have so much to celebrate in agriculture. Food has never been raised more efficiently or safer than it is right now. For ten thousand years humans have been genetically enhancing their crops and livestock, along with learning how to process and store the harvest. So what better time to celebrate this feat than during National Ag Week! If you’ve never taken the opportunity to visit with someone about where their food comes from, this week would be a great time to start.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Young Farmers & Ranchers Donate 5.3 Million Meals in 2009
Farm Bureau Families Raise Record Funds for America’s Hungry
WASHINGTON, D.C, February 26, 2010 – The farm and ranch families of Farm Bureau last year raised more than $213,000 and donated more than 4.8 million pounds of food to hungry Americans as part of Farm Bureau’s “Harvest for All” program. Combined, the monetary and food donations provided the equivalent of nearly 5.3 million meals through Feeding America-affiliated food banks.
The money raised last year was a record and broke the prior record of $160,000 in 2008. Farm Bureau’s Harvest for All program began in 2004, and the program has continued to build momentum since then.
Members of Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers program spearhead the Harvest for All program across the nation, but all facets of Farm Bureau contribute to the effort. The joint effort between Farm Bureau and Feeding America is a national community-action program through which farmers can help ensure that every American can enjoy the bounty produced by the nation’s farm and ranch families.
“In these difficult economic times, Harvest for All is all the more important,” said Will Gilmer, AFBF YF&R chairman and a dairy producer from Lamar County, Ala. “As farmers and ranchers, we are blessed to work every day, feeding America and the world. Harvest for All is a great way to share our many blessings with those less fortunate than we are.”
Since Harvest for All was launched seven years ago, Farm Bureau families have gathered more than 20 million pounds of food, logged more than 35,000 volunteer hours and raised nearly $1 million in donations. Combined, the food and monetary donations amount to nearly 24 million meals.
Read More
Most of us take for granted having food on our plate everyday and not worrying about the next day’s meals. But for many that is not the case. One in eight Americans used a food bank in 2009. Farmers and ranchers are well-known for their efforts to make their communities a better place to live. Part of doing that is making sure that our neighbors have a place to get food when they are struggling to do so on their own. The efforts by these young farmers and ranchers from across the country have made a difference in the lives of hungry people. Since 2004, more than 24 million meals have been provided by these young farmers and ranchers.
WASHINGTON, D.C, February 26, 2010 – The farm and ranch families of Farm Bureau last year raised more than $213,000 and donated more than 4.8 million pounds of food to hungry Americans as part of Farm Bureau’s “Harvest for All” program. Combined, the monetary and food donations provided the equivalent of nearly 5.3 million meals through Feeding America-affiliated food banks.
The money raised last year was a record and broke the prior record of $160,000 in 2008. Farm Bureau’s Harvest for All program began in 2004, and the program has continued to build momentum since then.
Members of Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers program spearhead the Harvest for All program across the nation, but all facets of Farm Bureau contribute to the effort. The joint effort between Farm Bureau and Feeding America is a national community-action program through which farmers can help ensure that every American can enjoy the bounty produced by the nation’s farm and ranch families.
“In these difficult economic times, Harvest for All is all the more important,” said Will Gilmer, AFBF YF&R chairman and a dairy producer from Lamar County, Ala. “As farmers and ranchers, we are blessed to work every day, feeding America and the world. Harvest for All is a great way to share our many blessings with those less fortunate than we are.”
Since Harvest for All was launched seven years ago, Farm Bureau families have gathered more than 20 million pounds of food, logged more than 35,000 volunteer hours and raised nearly $1 million in donations. Combined, the food and monetary donations amount to nearly 24 million meals.
Read More
Most of us take for granted having food on our plate everyday and not worrying about the next day’s meals. But for many that is not the case. One in eight Americans used a food bank in 2009. Farmers and ranchers are well-known for their efforts to make their communities a better place to live. Part of doing that is making sure that our neighbors have a place to get food when they are struggling to do so on their own. The efforts by these young farmers and ranchers from across the country have made a difference in the lives of hungry people. Since 2004, more than 24 million meals have been provided by these young farmers and ranchers.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Young Farmers Get Advice
Wabash Farmer Passes Tips to Younger Growers
Kip Tom includes more in message than sows and plows.
Compiled by staff
Indiana Prairie Farmer
Published: Feb 26, 2010
Kip Tom is one of those people who can speak from experience. He's put together a large farming operation, and even farmed in South America. Part of his success lies in paying attention to detail. He would tell you another part of it derives form paying attention to which direction the winds are blowing in agriculture, and doing what he can to help agriculture move in the right direction.
Tom was one of the speakers who motivated 50 young couples at an informational and leadership conference hosted by Co-Alliance, Danville, recently. The meeting was held in Indianapolis, and covered an entire weekend. This is the third year that the large co-operative partnership has sponsored this type of event.
Tom, Wabash, has amassed a 15,000 acre farming operation today. But it wasn't just how to grow corps that the young farmers and their wives wanted to ask him about. He fielded question son issues such as balancing the farm with family, and how to succeed in business in an increasingly competitive, regulated environment.
"Run your operation like a business," he encouraged. "Be a vocal advocate for agriculture." That theme was repeated by other speakers and through discussion amongst the participants themselves throughout the conference.
"Be a student," Tom continued. "Invest in yourself and an on-going education. And of course, plan ahead." Read More
There’s always plenty we can learn from the older and wiser generation ahead of us in agriculture. But what impressed me most in this article was the emphasis on off-farm activities such as advocacy work and family time. Both of those things are essential for a successful business. We haven’t always viewed it that way in agriculture but that attitude is now changing.
Kip Tom includes more in message than sows and plows.
Compiled by staff
Indiana Prairie Farmer
Published: Feb 26, 2010
Kip Tom is one of those people who can speak from experience. He's put together a large farming operation, and even farmed in South America. Part of his success lies in paying attention to detail. He would tell you another part of it derives form paying attention to which direction the winds are blowing in agriculture, and doing what he can to help agriculture move in the right direction.
Tom was one of the speakers who motivated 50 young couples at an informational and leadership conference hosted by Co-Alliance, Danville, recently. The meeting was held in Indianapolis, and covered an entire weekend. This is the third year that the large co-operative partnership has sponsored this type of event.
Tom, Wabash, has amassed a 15,000 acre farming operation today. But it wasn't just how to grow corps that the young farmers and their wives wanted to ask him about. He fielded question son issues such as balancing the farm with family, and how to succeed in business in an increasingly competitive, regulated environment.
"Run your operation like a business," he encouraged. "Be a vocal advocate for agriculture." That theme was repeated by other speakers and through discussion amongst the participants themselves throughout the conference.
"Be a student," Tom continued. "Invest in yourself and an on-going education. And of course, plan ahead." Read More
There’s always plenty we can learn from the older and wiser generation ahead of us in agriculture. But what impressed me most in this article was the emphasis on off-farm activities such as advocacy work and family time. Both of those things are essential for a successful business. We haven’t always viewed it that way in agriculture but that attitude is now changing.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Our Busy Schedule
The last few days have been whirlwind of traveling and meeting new people while we shared our story and inspired others to do the same. With adverse weather all over the country, traveling by airplane became quite a challenge. Despite all of that, we did eventually make it to all our destinations and back home.
On Friday morning we had the opportunity to present to a group of swine veterinarians and other animal health experts from Pfizer Animal Health in Miami. Many times we tend to focus on family farmers and ranchers telling their story, but we need to make sure that everyone who is involved in agriculture, from our veterinarians to our equipment dealers, are also helping promote and educate about the industry they rely on.
From there we traveled to Vidalia, Louisiana to spend Saturday morning at the Louisiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference. More than 100 young agriculturalists were in attendance. The amount of talent and leadership potential at these young farmers and rancher meetings, never ceases to amaze me and Louisiana certainly has a lot of it. It was a great group to work with and we are looking forward to crossing paths with these young leaders in the future.
While we did make it home last night, we have to hit the road again today. Tomorrow we are presenting in San Antonio, TX at the Masters of Beef Advocacy graduation which is being held in conjunction with National Cattlemen's Beef Association. We had the privilege of speaking at the MBA graduation last summer in Denver and it was a blast. It's a lot of fun to meet beef cattle enthusiasts from across the country and see their enthusiasm for agriculture turned into positive education and promotion of the industry.
After taking in the Cattle Industry Convention, we will end up in Des Moines, IA at the end of the week to share our message at the Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference. This meeting is always very well attended and it will be great getting to see some old friends and make new ones.
If you can make it to any of these events, please make a point to come introduce yourself to us. One of the best parts of getting to travel to these different areas of the country and share our story is meeting other people involved in agriculture.
Have a great week!
On Friday morning we had the opportunity to present to a group of swine veterinarians and other animal health experts from Pfizer Animal Health in Miami. Many times we tend to focus on family farmers and ranchers telling their story, but we need to make sure that everyone who is involved in agriculture, from our veterinarians to our equipment dealers, are also helping promote and educate about the industry they rely on.
From there we traveled to Vidalia, Louisiana to spend Saturday morning at the Louisiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference. More than 100 young agriculturalists were in attendance. The amount of talent and leadership potential at these young farmers and rancher meetings, never ceases to amaze me and Louisiana certainly has a lot of it. It was a great group to work with and we are looking forward to crossing paths with these young leaders in the future.
While we did make it home last night, we have to hit the road again today. Tomorrow we are presenting in San Antonio, TX at the Masters of Beef Advocacy graduation which is being held in conjunction with National Cattlemen's Beef Association. We had the privilege of speaking at the MBA graduation last summer in Denver and it was a blast. It's a lot of fun to meet beef cattle enthusiasts from across the country and see their enthusiasm for agriculture turned into positive education and promotion of the industry.
After taking in the Cattle Industry Convention, we will end up in Des Moines, IA at the end of the week to share our message at the Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference. This meeting is always very well attended and it will be great getting to see some old friends and make new ones.
If you can make it to any of these events, please make a point to come introduce yourself to us. One of the best parts of getting to travel to these different areas of the country and share our story is meeting other people involved in agriculture.
Have a great week!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Ag Isn't Easy For Young Producers
Young ag producers struggle with lower prices, high costs
By TOM LUTEY Of The Gazette Staff Posted: Sunday, October 25, 2009 12:10 am
JOLIET - The first young heifer ambled across the frozen mud, with icy snot clinging to her nose, and eyed the stock trailer's dark entrance with dread.
"Go on," hollered Wallace Blain. With the business end of his rubber-tipped stick, he assured the black Angus that whatever lurked in the trailer was better than five more minutes with a weathered cowhand in a rusty-gated pen.
Blain was helping his grandson, Scott, make it in a world that's become increasingly unforgiving to farmers and ranchers, particularly those just starting out. Behind his grandfather, Scott Blain stood with a cold cell phone pressed to his ear, trapped in a seemingly endless stream of conversations, from his embryo cow buyers, from the school where he teaches farm economics, from the Future Farmers of America that he bused to town at daybreak before returning to load livestock.
A special section in today's Billings Gazette features reports on the key economic sectors of Montana's economy. Real estate, retail, banking and construction are just some of the areas reviewed.
But the stories start here, with a young farmer, one of the few relative newcomers to the state's largest industry. His cattle are down in price for the second consecutive year. His wheat is again at $4 a bushel after cracking $8 a year ago. The seemingly simple life of his farming grandparents, which as a child Blain re-created on the carpet on his bedroom floor, has turned out to be incredibly complex.
Farming in the foothills and coulees above Farewell Creek is a global business. Here, the economy doesn't get better because in-town retail sales are up or first-time homebuyers are cashing in on federal tax credits. Here, it gets better because South Korea stops fearing mad-cow disease and starts buying American beef. It gets better when drought has clobbered the Australian wheat crop. It gets better when Third World countries are flush with newfound wealth and hungry for American protein. Read More
There is no doubt that agriculture is a tough business. It’s especially tough for our youngest members of the profession because of the volatility. But the love of this life and business doesn’t allow us to quit. I truly believe that food production is a higher calling. Why else, other than the fact that we are providing food, fiber and pharmaceuticals for our fellow human beings, would someone work so hard for such little pay. We aren’t money hungry, animal abusers. We are people trying to care for our neighbors.
By TOM LUTEY Of The Gazette Staff Posted: Sunday, October 25, 2009 12:10 am
JOLIET - The first young heifer ambled across the frozen mud, with icy snot clinging to her nose, and eyed the stock trailer's dark entrance with dread.
"Go on," hollered Wallace Blain. With the business end of his rubber-tipped stick, he assured the black Angus that whatever lurked in the trailer was better than five more minutes with a weathered cowhand in a rusty-gated pen.
Blain was helping his grandson, Scott, make it in a world that's become increasingly unforgiving to farmers and ranchers, particularly those just starting out. Behind his grandfather, Scott Blain stood with a cold cell phone pressed to his ear, trapped in a seemingly endless stream of conversations, from his embryo cow buyers, from the school where he teaches farm economics, from the Future Farmers of America that he bused to town at daybreak before returning to load livestock.
A special section in today's Billings Gazette features reports on the key economic sectors of Montana's economy. Real estate, retail, banking and construction are just some of the areas reviewed.
But the stories start here, with a young farmer, one of the few relative newcomers to the state's largest industry. His cattle are down in price for the second consecutive year. His wheat is again at $4 a bushel after cracking $8 a year ago. The seemingly simple life of his farming grandparents, which as a child Blain re-created on the carpet on his bedroom floor, has turned out to be incredibly complex.
Farming in the foothills and coulees above Farewell Creek is a global business. Here, the economy doesn't get better because in-town retail sales are up or first-time homebuyers are cashing in on federal tax credits. Here, it gets better because South Korea stops fearing mad-cow disease and starts buying American beef. It gets better when drought has clobbered the Australian wheat crop. It gets better when Third World countries are flush with newfound wealth and hungry for American protein. Read More
There is no doubt that agriculture is a tough business. It’s especially tough for our youngest members of the profession because of the volatility. But the love of this life and business doesn’t allow us to quit. I truly believe that food production is a higher calling. Why else, other than the fact that we are providing food, fiber and pharmaceuticals for our fellow human beings, would someone work so hard for such little pay. We aren’t money hungry, animal abusers. We are people trying to care for our neighbors.
Friday, October 2, 2009
College Aggies Online
Program Prepares Young Ag Advocates
Marlys Miller Thursday, October 01, 2009
The Animal Agriculture Alliance has launched "College Aggies Online", a new program aimed at helping today's college students become confident advocates for the agriculture industry.
"We are looking forward to providing the tools that young agriculturists need to communicate effectively with the public," says Kay Johnson Smith, Alliance executive vice president. "College students who participate in the program will do more than just build their resume-- they will help ensure the future of America's agriculture industry by sharing accurate information about modern farming and ranching."ﾠ ﾠ
College Aggies Online is a joint venture of the Alliance and American National CattleWomen. It will connect college students from across the country who are interested in promoting agriculture by sharing their stories. Participants will receive training and instructions from industry professionals and will enjoy access to a private forum to post information about current and emerging issues facing farmers and ranchers.
The online community will provide resources to students on key issues to help them better utilize tools such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to share agriculture's story with the public. "Social networking Web sites offer an effective platform for reaching large audiences of people who do not have farm backgrounds," Johnson Smith says. Read More
There are some really great new online tools being used by young agriculturalists that I want to highlight in the next few weeks. The first one is College Aggies Online, which will be launched on October 15. This site will allow college students to share more information about themselves and agriculture with our consumers. There are many people even within our own industry that say young people aren’t interested in agriculture anymore. I always disagree. As I have traveled across this country, I continually meet young adults that impress the heck out of me. Even just a decade ago, when I was attending South Dakota State University, we weren’t concerned about going out and actively promoting agriculture. But today’s students are not only willing to do it, they are continually seeking opportunities to do so. Check out this new forum for yourself and you will undoubtedly be impressed by those that will be posting on there.
Marlys Miller Thursday, October 01, 2009
The Animal Agriculture Alliance has launched "College Aggies Online", a new program aimed at helping today's college students become confident advocates for the agriculture industry.
"We are looking forward to providing the tools that young agriculturists need to communicate effectively with the public," says Kay Johnson Smith, Alliance executive vice president. "College students who participate in the program will do more than just build their resume-- they will help ensure the future of America's agriculture industry by sharing accurate information about modern farming and ranching."ﾠ ﾠ
College Aggies Online is a joint venture of the Alliance and American National CattleWomen. It will connect college students from across the country who are interested in promoting agriculture by sharing their stories. Participants will receive training and instructions from industry professionals and will enjoy access to a private forum to post information about current and emerging issues facing farmers and ranchers.
The online community will provide resources to students on key issues to help them better utilize tools such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to share agriculture's story with the public. "Social networking Web sites offer an effective platform for reaching large audiences of people who do not have farm backgrounds," Johnson Smith says. Read More
There are some really great new online tools being used by young agriculturalists that I want to highlight in the next few weeks. The first one is College Aggies Online, which will be launched on October 15. This site will allow college students to share more information about themselves and agriculture with our consumers. There are many people even within our own industry that say young people aren’t interested in agriculture anymore. I always disagree. As I have traveled across this country, I continually meet young adults that impress the heck out of me. Even just a decade ago, when I was attending South Dakota State University, we weren’t concerned about going out and actively promoting agriculture. But today’s students are not only willing to do it, they are continually seeking opportunities to do so. Check out this new forum for yourself and you will undoubtedly be impressed by those that will be posting on there.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Young Farmer Tells His Story
Young farmer works to tell the other side of the story
August 25, 2009 by Ken Anderson
Agriculture and the U.S. food production system seem to be under constant attack these days, with the movie Food Inc. and the recent Time magazine cover story on food being the latest examples.
So what do young farmers think of the constant criticism of what they do?
“It’s hard to take it sitting down,” says Jason Kvols, a 35-year old farmer from Laurel, Nebraska. “You know, we get automatically defensive of our industry, and I think what needs to be done is more opportunities for farmers and ranchers to get into situations where they have a voice-where they can speak out and say ‘this is what I do and this is why I do it’.”
Kvols, who serves on the Nebraska Farm Bureau board of directors, was recently part of a panel discussion following the showing of the Food Inc. movie in Lincoln. He says it was a good experience and an excellent opportunity to present the other side of the story. Kvols says social networking, such as Twitter and Facebook, is also a great tool. Read More
Being at the table for these discussions is so important. Congratulations to Jason for being willing to represent agriculture at a showing of Food Inc. Not only do we need to be willing to do things like this, but we should be actively seeking these opportunities to do so. Many consumers never have the chance to visit with a farmer or rancher. Making those personal connections are a great way to drive home the fact that this country is still being fed by family farms and ranches.
August 25, 2009 by Ken Anderson
Agriculture and the U.S. food production system seem to be under constant attack these days, with the movie Food Inc. and the recent Time magazine cover story on food being the latest examples.
So what do young farmers think of the constant criticism of what they do?
“It’s hard to take it sitting down,” says Jason Kvols, a 35-year old farmer from Laurel, Nebraska. “You know, we get automatically defensive of our industry, and I think what needs to be done is more opportunities for farmers and ranchers to get into situations where they have a voice-where they can speak out and say ‘this is what I do and this is why I do it’.”
Kvols, who serves on the Nebraska Farm Bureau board of directors, was recently part of a panel discussion following the showing of the Food Inc. movie in Lincoln. He says it was a good experience and an excellent opportunity to present the other side of the story. Kvols says social networking, such as Twitter and Facebook, is also a great tool. Read More
Being at the table for these discussions is so important. Congratulations to Jason for being willing to represent agriculture at a showing of Food Inc. Not only do we need to be willing to do things like this, but we should be actively seeking these opportunities to do so. Many consumers never have the chance to visit with a farmer or rancher. Making those personal connections are a great way to drive home the fact that this country is still being fed by family farms and ranches.
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