Attend Iowa Beginning Farmer Tax Credits And Loan Program Workshops

Mar 04, 2015

By Ann Johanns

Owning and managing a crop or livestock operation can be a financial mountain not easy to summit. But making these types of dreams come true is a common occurrence for the Iowa Agricultural Development Division, a division of the Iowa Finance Authority.

Workshops are being offered in March by the Iowa Ag Development Division in cooperation with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach county offices. The two-hour classes are for individuals interested in learning more about low interest loans for the purchase of land, buildings and equipment; Iowa tax credits for landowners who lease to beginning farmers; and Iowa tax credits for farmers who hire a beginning farmer for custom work.

“Taking this workshop is a great way to learn firsthand about these different loan and tax credit options,” said Ann Johanns, ISU Extension and Outreach program specialist. “It’s a great place to get immediate answers on specific questions relating to farm finances.”

Two beginning farmer tax credit and loan classes scheduled for next week

Monday, March 9, 2015, 7:00 p.m. – Guthrie Activity Center, 209 State St., Guthrie Center. Register at IowaFinanceAuthority.gov/IADD, by Friday, March 6.
Thursday, March 12, 2015, 7:30 a.m. – Two Rivers Coop, 109 South St., Pella. Register with Jaci Nunnikhoven, jaci@kreykeslaw.com, 641-628-2383.

“Whether you’re new to farming or want to start your own farming operation, the Iowa Agricultural Development Division is a creative source of capital,” said Steve Ferguson, Iowa Ag program specialist. “We’re ready to help with the financing challenges of beginning farming through reduced interest rate loans or Iowa tax credits; we have a program to suit your needs.”

To qualify for the programs, applicants must be a resident of Iowa and at least 18 years of age. The maximum net worth limit is set each year, and for 2015 it is $703,844. Beginning farmers also must have sufficient training as well as access to working capital, farm machinery, livestock and agricultural land.

The IADD (formerly Iowa Ag Development Authority) was established by the Iowa General Assembly in 1980 to provide financial assistance to Iowa’s grain and animal producers with several programs designed to assist beginning farmers.

Details on speciﬁc programs, deadlines and how to apply can be found on the IADD website at: http://www.iowafinanceauthority.gov/IADD. Programs available include:

Beginning Farmer Loan Program — assists new farmers in acquiring agricultural property by offering financing at reduced interest rates.
Loan Participation Program — assists low income farmers to secure loans and make down payments.
Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Programs — IADD has two tax credit programs to assist beginning farmers – Agricultural Assets Transfer Tax Credit and Custom Hire Tax Credit. These tax credits are an incentive to lease to or custom hire a beginning farmer.

Source:iastate.edu

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.