Bill to help new farmers get started
A new piece of legislation aims to encourage existing farmers and landowners to help beginning farmers get started.
State Sen. Elder Vogel, R-47th, last week joined with Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-34th, and Sen. Judy Ward, R-30th, to announce Senate Bill 478. It would provide a tax credit for landowners who sell or lease land to “beginning farmers.”
A landowner would receive a one-time tax credit totaling 5 percent of the sales price with a maximum credit of $32,000 or a 10 percent credit on the gross rental price with a maximum credit of $7,000 per year. The landowner, who rents property to a qualified beginning farmer, would be eligible for the tax credit for a maximum of three years.
According to Vogel, for every four farmers in Pennsylvania over the age of 65, there is only one farmer under the age of 35. Of the 7.7 million acres of farmland across the state, 41 percent is managed by a farmer 55 years of age or older and 11 percent of that land is expected to transfer in the next five years.
“My legislation provides an incentive for landowners to lease or sell their land, buildings and equipment to beginning farmers,” said Vogel, who operates a family farm in Beaver County that was established in the late 1800s. “The number one concern faced by new farmers is finding affordable farmland and I believe the state can be proactive in helping them overcome that hurdle.”
Officials from the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau voiced their support for the bill, and urged the General Assembly to support it. Rick Ebert, Bureau president, said the organization routinely hears from young farmers who are unable to start their own business due to a lack of affordable land to buy or rent.
“We are hopeful that the legislation will reduce some of those roadblocks and pave the way for a better future for young people who have a passion for growing food to meet the needs of consumers,” Ebert said. “We need to do everything we can to remove obstacles facing future farmers and we believe Sen. Vogel’s bill could play a role in minimizing one of those barriers.”
