Thompson joins in introduction of Young Farmer Success Act

Last week, Congressman Glenn Thompson toured Otto-Eldred School District's agriculture program. On Wednesday, he joined fellow legislators to introduce a bill that would help those students pursue a career in farming in the future.

The bipartisan Young Farmer Success Act would help America's young farmers manage their student loan debt by making them eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

Along with Thompson, Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., introduced the bill. The Young Farmer Success Act represents an important effort in preserving America's agricultural economy and will ease the financial burden on young farmers.

"The average age of a farmer in the United States is 57 years old," Thompson said. "We must encourage our youth to enter the agriculture workforce and cultivate the next generation of farmers and ranchers."

Seeing Otto-Eldred, one of the smallest schools in Pennsylvania, have such a large and successful FFA and agriculture program does his heart good, Thompson said.

"This Young Farmer Success Act could be a tool that would help serve these kids as they learn about agriculture," he said. "The kids at Otto-Eldred would have a little bit of a wait to be a beneficiary. Part of that model is they complete their education, their post-secondary education in agriculture and be working for 10 years, and be paying back their student loans faithfully and then after 10 years, the balance would be paid back.

"The Young Farmer Success Act represents an important effort to preserve our agricultural economy," Thompson added. "As they farm, they can look forward to taking off some of the bills to be paid."

The legislator said programs like FFA and 4-H and the Young Farmer Success Act "really do complement each other. It's helping individuals who want to work. It's the ultimate return on investment, it's national security and long term viability of the nation."

Referring to his visit to Otto-Eldred, Thompson said, "These kids are amazing. That program's only been in existence for three years. You'd think they'd been around 10 years or more, it's so robust and well done. I'm so appreciative to the school, the faculty, and the teacher who created that program."

He complimented teacher Brandon Witmer's work with getting the students interested and involved in agriculture. "I'm really looking forward to bragging on them on the House floor when I get the opportunity. That program, they're really getting it done."

Referring to the Young Farmer Success Act, Thompson said, "Without farm and ranch workers, our country will lose the ability to provide safe and affordable food to our citizens and the world."

The other legislators agreed.

Courtney said, "We need to support a new generation of farmers now more than ever. Our number of small farms is on the decline, and the average age of American farmers is rising. There's no doubt that experience is crucial for any farming business, but when the number of U.S. farmers over 65 outnumbers those under 35 by 6-to-1, that's a trend we need to reverse."

De La Cruz said family farms need to be saved.

"The family farm is no longer a staple of rural communities nationwide," she said. "To prevent the further loss of family farms, we must act to encourage young men and women to follow in the family business.

"I am proud to co-sponsor the Young Farmer Success Act, which allows farmers to earn student loan forgiveness just like teachers and other professionals dedicated to public service," De La Cruz added. "After all, if feeding America isn't public service, what is? I hope this bill quickly passes the House and Senate and is signed into law."

Agriculture is the number one economic driver not only in Pennsylvania, but also in Illinois, said Budzinski.

"The viability of our rural communities will depend on the next generation of family farmers," she said. "As the representative for some of our nation's leading agricultural education institutions, I'm proud to help introduce bipartisan legislation to make farm and ranch workers eligible for public service student loan forgiveness. This is a commonsense way to help bring more young people into the ag workforce and keep our rural economies strong."

The President of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Chris Hoffman said, "As a first-generation farmer, I can relate to the struggles our prospective young farmers and ranchers face when looking to pursue a career in agriculture. We recognize one of the most prominent financial burdens for young farmers and ranchers is their outstanding student loans because the agriculture industry's salaries are not the highest paying, yet their jobs are critical for food and national security.

"Having a robust agricultural workforce for years to come is imperative because American families depend on our producers to supply their food, fiber, and fuel," Hoffman said. "For these reasons, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is proud to support the Young Farmer Success Act."