New Farmers Get a Helping Hand

An article in the Denver Post today and in other papers outlined a program in Iowa that is designed go help young non-farmers become farmers by hooking them up with farmers that are ready to retire.

This particular program is located in Iowa at Iowa State University and is headed up by Dave Baker.  The program is called the Beginning Farmer Center and it appears that they have helped up to 30 beginning farmers get partnered up with retiring farmers over the last three years. 

Although the program is designed to help younger people who want to get started in farming, but do not have the needed capital to do it on their own, it appears that there is no age limit on who can participate.

If you are nearing retirement and have no heirs who are interested in farming, this program or others like it in other states may help you partner up with somebody who wants to farm and would be willing and able to continue your farming legacy.  It is worth taking a look at it.