State Legislature
Young farmer sees benefits in start-up help
Mike Deering (Missouri Cattlemen’s Association) with Ryan Messner (far left) in the Missouri Senate Lounge
Missouri farmer Ryan Messner is the catalyst for proposed legislation that would set up $12 Million in tax credits in Missouri to help beginning farmers.
Messner wants to farm full time when he graduates from college and he says the tax credits for established farmers to sell their land to beginners like him would help a lot, “There’s so many older people that are so afraid of capital gains they don’t want to sell their land. I mean, if that would give them an insight to sell land to a beginning farmer, it would give us a hands up.”
Messner says there are older farmers that maybe don’t do everything younger farmers would do that could bring more income into the state…
“Precision ag, there’s so many other opportunities out there. With all this global technology. I mean, anymore you can drive a tractor without even touching the steering wheel which is just phenomenal. And, there’s so much opportunity.”
Messner says his father is only 45 and wants to keep farming, so he doesn’t want to wait to inherit his family farm. He wants a farm of his own and buying land is the first step. The Missouri legislation would apply to “beginning farmers” with no upper age limit.
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