Eagle Bend farmer travels to Washington promoting beginning farmer programs
By Carol Stender
cstender@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 07/14/2011 12:07 PM
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EAGLE BEND, Minn. — Thanks to beginning farmer programs, Nolan Lenzen has been able to start a dairy farm.
A Farm Service Agency loan helped him purchase his first cows. Through EQIP, he purchased waterers and fencing, the foundation of his rotational grazing system. With the Land Stewardship Project's Farm Beginnings program, he laid the groundwork for a business plan.
Lenzen wants such programs to grow for other beginning farmers. He delivered that message to Congress and USDA officials late last month as part of a "fly-in" of young farmers from across the United States. The 12 young farmers met with more than 50 senators and congressmen and with Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan. The fly-in was sponsored by the Land Stewardship Project and other members of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
When delivering their message, the group referred to the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011, which will be introduced later this year. Its provisions cover many areas of farming including research and training, credit and loans and conservation. The goal is to assist beginning producers.
"There are opportunities in agriculture and people want to learn to farm," he said. "But it is tough to get started and sometimes it feels like the deck is stacked against you. Personally, I would be nowhere near as far along on my farming career if I didn't have access to programs like these as well as community support."
Lenzen started his farming career near his family's operation by Watertown. It was difficult to get money to purchase his first cows.
"I went to conventional lenders and either got laughed out of their offices or was offered loans with a high interest rate," he said. "Then I went to the Farm Service Agency where I was told there was a loan program I could use...Most government programs can be first-come, first-served, but with the Beginning Farmer Ownership Loan program, I could use money set aside specifically for beginning farmers. That process is helpful."
He rented a neighbor's barn and started milking. When his father sold his herd, Lenzen moved to the home farm, but high land prices prohibited him from purchasing land he needed for grass-based rotational grazing. He looked for another farm and found it near Eagle Bend. He purchased the farm in 2007 and started milking in 2008.
Lenzen milks 32 cows in a seasonal organic dairy. Lenzen plants around 12 acres out of his 140 in corn. It's used for silage, while the rest is part of the rotational grazing system.
Using government programs for his farming start has been positive. A provision in the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011 establishes a borrower training program so they can assist beginning farmers better.
While the current farm bill has addressed many needs for farmers, the proposed legislation adds and improves those programs designed for beginning farmers, Lenzen said.
The young farmers was warmly received, he said.
"No one is against anyone starting to farm," Lenzen said. "But they don't know the needs of those who are getting started."
Pprovisions of the proposed beginning rancher and farmer legislation will be part of the next farm bill debate. It assists all types of farms.
"This isn't a big farm versus little farm or organic versus convention," Lenzen said. "It is simply putting farmers back on the land."