Nearly half of U.S. farmland is on the brink of changing ownership over the next two decades, with the average American family farmer approaching 60 years old.
Today, U.S. Reps. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Zach Nunn (R-IA), Joe Courtney (D-CT), and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) introduced the Increasing Land Access, Security and Opportunities Act — bipartisan legislation to help bring the next generation into family farming.
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a program to support underserved producers through the Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program. The Increasing Land Access, Security, and Opportunities Act expand this program, authorizing $100 million per year for the next five years and improving pathways for funding to reach young and beginning farmers.
“With the average age of American family farmers approaching 60 years old, it’s critical that we provide support to help bring the next generation into agriculture,” said Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski. “I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation that will help young and beginning farmers gain access to land, markets, and capital — the biggest barriers for new and underserved farmers. I’m so grateful to Representatives Zach Nunn and Joe Courtney for partnering with me in this bipartisan effort, and I look forward to working together to get this legislation included in the 2023 Farm Bill.”
The 2023 Farm Bill is an important opportunity to address the challenges keeping land out of reach for the next generation of farmers. The Increasing Land Access, Security and Opportunities Act would address this challenge by:
- Making funding available to entities that strengthen land, capital, and market access for historically underserved farmers.
- Providing funds for services that help farmers and ranchers acquire land, cover closing costs and down payments, secure clear titles, make site improvements, and access training and technical assistance.
- Prioritizing projects that give direct financial assistance to farmers involves collaborative partnerships and the transition of farmland from existing producers to the next generation.
- Establishing a committee of stakeholders to develop a process for evaluating applications and distributing funds effectively.
“Investing in secure, equitable access to land for farmers is an imperative insurance policy for all other public dollars spent by Congress in the 2023 Farm Bill,” said David Howard, Policy Development Director at the National Young Farmers Coalition. “This is the moment for Congress to take action and ensure that the 2023 Farm Bill delivers material benefits for historically underserved farmers, ranchers, and forest owners striving to establish and grow their operations. We are grateful for the leadership of Representatives Budzinski, Nunn, and Courtney in driving this effort.”
The Increasing Land Access, Security and Opportunities Act has been endorsed by the National Young Farmers Coalition, the American Farmland Trust, the National Family Farm Coalition, the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and the Rural Coalition.
“As the average age of farmers continues to rise, our nation faces an unprecedented generational transfer of farmland. Meanwhile, beginning and historically marginalized farmers are struggling to access farmland and the resources they need to grow viable farm businesses,” said Tim Fink, Policy Director for American Farmland Trust. “Today’s introduction of the bipartisan Increasing Land Access, Security, and Opportunities Act reflects a growing understanding that these challenges are interrelated and that addressing them requires urgent investment and creative, community-led solutions. We applaud Representatives Budzinski, Nunn, and Courtney for introducing this bill and working to ensure that the next Farm Bill supports equitable opportunities for historically underserved producers to not just farm but to thrive.”
