[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9163-9164]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      APPLAUDING THE WORK OF THE NATIONAL YOUNG FARMERS COALITION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, last week, I met with 
members of the National Young Farmers Coalition. This nonprofit was 
founded just 8 years ago by three farmers in upstate New York. They 
gathered around a farmhouse table to talk about the challenges facing 
them and their peers: difficulty securing loans, access to affordable 
farmland, and student loan debt.
  They decided that they and other young farmers needed to step up and 
fight for the future of farming as a united front. Across the country, 
other young farmers were also coming to the same realization, and the 
coalition was born.
  It works in conjunction with farmers, consumers, organizations, and 
government to tackle the many challenges that young, independent, and 
sustainable farmers face in their first years of operating a farm 
business.
  Young farmers include all people who are kicking off a career in 
agriculture. Typically, in their first 10 years of growing, this 
includes anyone from a first-year farm apprentice to someone pursuing a 
midlife career change to agriculture.
  Mr. Speaker, rural America is struggling. But rural areas offer 
unique contributions to our Nation, often in the form of agriculture, 
raw materials, and naturally occurring commodities.
  As more and more young people pursue fast-paced careers in cities and 
urban centers, the size and composition of populations in rural America 
is rapidly changing. American agriculture, in particular, is facing a 
crisis of attrition.
  Two-thirds of our farmland is on the cusp of transition as farmers 
grow older and retire, and there are fewer young farmers positioned to 
manage this resource.

                              {time}  1030

  Farmers over the age of 65 outnumber farmers under the age of 35 by a 
margin of 6 to 1. The number of farmers under the age of 35 grew by 
only 1 percent from 2007 to 2012. In order to fix this problem, we must 
help incentivize more young people to pursue careers in agriculture.
  That is why, together with Representatives Joe Courtney of 
Connecticut and John Faso of New York, I introduced the Young Farmers 
Success Act, which aims to accomplish this by adding farmers to the 
existing Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
  After making 10 years of income-based student loan payments, a young 
farmer would see the balance of his or her student loans forgiven, just 
as other public servants who utilize this program currently do. It is 
my hope that the enactment of this legislation will lead to the 
continued enhancement of our Nation's farms.

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  Agriculture is the number one industry in Pennsylvania, Mr. Speaker, 
and as such, many of the rural communities in the State depend on 
agriculture in some form. Unfortunately, USDA released its first farm 
income forecast for 2017 and predicted that net farm income is expected 
to decline for the fourth consecutive year.
  Declining farm income coupled with low commodity prices over the past 
few years have adversely impacted farmers and rural communities across 
the Nation. I have met with farmers in and outside my district who are 
facing tough decisions about the future of their farms.
  As vice chair of the Agriculture Committee and chairman of the 
Nutrition Subcommittee, I know our Nation needs a robust agriculture 
sector so that we can continue to provide our Nation and nations across 
the world with nutritious food and fiber. In order to do so, we need to 
find ways to cultivate the next generation of farmers. Now, I believe 
that the Young Farmers Success Act does just that by taking away one of 
the barriers that can deter young and beginner farmers from entering 
into agriculture.
  Mr. Speaker, our farmers feed this Nation. Farmers are stewards of 
the land and cornerstones of our rural communities. They provide the 
country with a safe and affordable food supply. But we need to do more 
to cultivate the future generation of farmers. They face tough odds by 
the very nature of the business, and this legislation will provide 
incentives for those who would like to pursue a future in the 
agriculture industry, which aids our national security and the long-
term sustainability of our country.
  Investing in our Nation's ability to put food on the table for our 
neighbors is not a partisan issue. I encourage every Member of this 
House to cosponsor this important legislation.

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