State Representative Dan Swanson (R-Alpha) has introduced legislation this spring to help beginning farmers get started.
According to Swanson, the vast majority of Illinois farms are family owned, but the farming community needs to make sure they are passed on to the next generation of farmers.
The representative says 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 and Swanson’s 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.
Swanson 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.
