Farmers say farm bill programs serve as gateway to capital

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Farmers say farm bill programs serve as gateway to capital

Many farmers testifying during the first Senate Ag Committee field hearing in Michigan credited farm bill funding sources as an important lifeline to their business.

Allyson Maxwell, a crop farmer from Beaverton, says it’s nearly impossible for new entrants to begin farming in an increasingly capital-intensive industry and the Farm Service Agency’s young and beginning farmer loan programs need continued support.

“A successful farm bill reauthorization should continue to support new and existing farmers, especially with the economic realities facing farmers today,” she stressed.

She also called on Congress to recognize the importance of farm credit institutions helping farmers manage through radical price swings.

First-generation organic farmer Brian Bates of Bear Creek Organic Farm in Petosky says he would not be in business if not for farm bill programs supporting beginning farmers.

“With annual sales now exceeding $1 million, it’s hard to believe that the Bear Creek of today would not have been possible without the $35,000 microloan that we received in 2013,” he says.

Organic cash crop farmer Stephen Ewald of Unionville also suggested Congress support banking options for farmers transitioning to organic that allow for a softer repayment schedule during the transitional period.

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