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(Lincoln, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman will address the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Advisory Committee at 1 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 9, in Omaha, in the hopes of drawing young people’s attention to farming.
The Governor will also use the opportunity to highlight the challenges facing Nebraska’s beginning farmers and ranchers, as well as suggesting possible solutions that legislators might be able to implement at the state and federal levels.
"In Nebraska, there are nearly five times as many farm operators over the age of 75 as there are younger than 25," Gov. Heineman said. "More than half of our nation's farmers are older than 57. This is a trend we must reverse. By targeting our plans to the needs of new producers, I believe we can encourage new generations of young Nebraskans to reap the benefits of good, clean living on the farms and ranches across our great state."
Gov. Heineman cited soaring land values, high equipment and input costs, and the high rate of absentee landownership as key obstacles preventing young agricultural producers from owning land, thereby driving potential producers away from agriculture.
The USDA's Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers advises U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns on ways to encourage state and federal cooperation to provide joint financing to beginning farmers and ranchers. It also advises the Secretary on methods of maximizing the new opportunities created and fostered by federal and state programs. The committee meets at least once a year, and this week will be the group's first trip to Nebraska.
The two-day public meeting will be held Monday and Tuesday at the Omaha Hilton, 1001 Cass Street, in Omaha. Meeting times will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 8, and from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on August 9. Attendance is open to the public, but space is limited. The floor will be open to public comment on August 8 at 1:15 p.m.
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